Rouge
by Pearl Darkness
Summary: Rouge:Parody of Shrek and a gender switch. Rouge lived the life of a loner. But when toons invade her home, she and her "friends" must save Prince Knuckles for the evil Lady Cassidy But will love find her first? Pairings:RougexKnuckles
1. Cast

**Rouge: **Parody of Shrek and a gender switch. Rouge lived the life of a loner. But when toons invade her home, she and her "friends" must save Prince Knuckles for the evil Lady Cassidy. But will love find her first? Pairings: RougexHumanKnucklesxKnuckles, RikaxTakato, HinataxNaruto, AshxMisty, and GaryxDawn.

Cast:

Shrek: Rouge The Bat (Sonic X)

Human Fiona:(Human) Knuckles The Echidna (Sonic X)

Ogre Fiona: Knuckles The Echidna (Sonic X)

Donkey: Rika (Digimon), Hinata (Naruto), Ash, Misty,Gary,and Dawn (Pokemon)

Dragon: Naruto (Naruto; as a 9-tailed fox demon)

Extra with Naruto: Takato (Digimon)

Farquadd: Cassidy (Pokemon)


	2. Rouge

A book is laying on a table of some type. It opens, and we here an anyomonus voice.

Anyomous voice: Once apoun a time, there was a hansome price. But he had a curse upon him of a frightening sort, and could only be broken by a kiss. He was locked away in a tower gaurded by a terrifing nine tailed fox. Although may brave knights tried to free him, none suceeded. To this day, the prince waits in the highest room of the tallest tower, for true love's first kiss.

The voice stops, then starts to laugh.

Anyomonus voice:...Hmph! Like that's ever going to happen! What a bunch of Crazy Talk!

The voice's owner comes out of the outhouse he was in. She is a white bat, with large ears, long white gloves, a custom pink and purple outfit (**Sonic Heroes**), and purple colored long boots. Her name is Rouge. She took a look around her woods and hid a smile. To you, it might not seem much. But to Rouge, it's home.

**Somebody once told me the world is going to roll me**

**I ain't the sharpest tool in the shead**

**She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb**

**In the shape of an "L" on her forehead**

**Adopted from _ANIMAL KING 415_, Pearl Darkness' Rouge**

**Well the years start comming and they don't stop coming**

**Back to the rules and I hit the ground running**

**Didn't make sense not to live for fun**

**Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb**

Rouge grabs a bucket and filled it with water for a shower. After taking her outfit and boots off, she showers and splashs some water on the ground.

Bella Hudson as Rouge

**So much to do, so much to see**

**So what's wrong with taking the back streets**

**You'll never know if you don't go**

**You'll never shine if you don't glow**

Rouge then uses slime to brush her teeth and fangs. When she smiles in the mirror, it cracks.

Michele Knotz as Misty

Sarah Natochenny as Ash

Emily Bauer as Dawn

Eric Stuart as Gary

Melissa Fahn as Rika

Stephanie Sheh as Hinata

Maile Flanagan as Naruto

Brian Beacock as Takato

**Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play**

**Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on, get paid**

**And all that glitters is gold**

**Only shooting stars break the mold**

After getting dressed, Rouge runs to a nearby stream. She uses her Black Wave, and blasts a fish on sight. She reaches in and grabs it.

Jason Griffith as Knuckles

**It's a cool place and they say it gets colder**

**You're bundled up now wait 'til you get older**

**But the meteor men beg to differ**

**Judging by the hole in the satellite picture**

Rouge reaches in a log and pulls out a slug.

Emily Williams as Cassidy

Later, Rouge is paiting something on a slab of tree bark. She then kissess it, giving the appearance of wearing lipstick. When she places it in the ground, we see it's a sign that reads: "Beware of Thief !"

**The ice we skate is getting thin, the waters getting warm so you might as well swim**

**My worlds on fire how about your's**

**That's the way I like it and I never get bored**

At a nearby pub, an angry mob scheamed to kill the thief.

**Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play**

**Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid**

**And all that glitters is gold**

**Only shooting stars break the mold**

Rouge then used a match to light a fire. The mob lit tourches, while Rouge relaxes on her recliner. The intruders run over her keep out signs. But Rouge hears them coming.

**Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play**

**Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on, get paid**

**And all that glitters is gold**

**Only shooting stars break the mold**

Rouge flies quietly out of her house, and outside where she followed the intruders.

Paul: Is it in there?

Davy Jones (POTC) grimly nods.

Bokun: What are we waiting for? Lets get him!

Ember McClain (Danny Phantom) stops her and says, "Whoa. Hold it, Dipstick. Do you have any idea what she will do if she catches you?"

"Yeah," Jack Spicer (XS) agrees, "She'll bite your neck and drain your body of it's blood."

Someone then giggles from above. the mob turns and looks up to see Rouge upside down smirking at them.

Rouge: Yeah, that would be a vampiress.

The mob gasped as they saw that Rouge had came out of nowhere.

Rouge: Now bats, espically us excellent thiefs, we are so much worse. We'll make suits from your skin.

Lucy: No!

Rouge: We'll shave your organs, squeeze the jelly from your eyes! Actually, that taste horrible!

Davy Jones waves a flame torch at Rouge.

Davy Jones: Back, bat girl! Back off! I'm warrnin' ya!

Rouge jumps in the air, and just kickes the torch out of his hand. It is than embed into a tree, with one end of it sticking out of the tree.

Davy Jones: Uhhhhh...Right. Hee-hee.

Rouge took a deep breath and lets out a ear pireceing screech. The mob screamed in terror. When Rouge finished, she snatches all of there wallets when there still screaming like girls and noticed the mob was still standing there.

Rouge: This is the part where you run away.

And with that, the mob ran for their lives.

Rouge: And don't come back!

Rouge then noticed a flier on the ground.

Rouge: "Wanted: Toons, freaks, video game charaters, ect."? Ah, I have nothing to worry about!

Little did she know she was wrong.


	3. New Friends

"Alright. This one's full. Take it away!"

A coach of prisoners rolls away, while a sad group consisting of the Mew Mews (Zoey, Bridgette, Kikki, Renne Roberts, Cornia, and Ringo) are led away in chains by a guard. It was by order of Princess Cassidy that the land be rid of freaks, anime, cartoon creatures/characters, ect.

"Move it!" snapped one of the guards from the Foot Clan (TMNT) as he shoved Kikki and was met with a glare from Zoey and Renne.

Nearby, a figure is sitting at the table. This one was a blue skined man with black hair, black eyes and a scar. He wore a blue lab-coat, black gloves, and black boots. His name is Dr. Drakken (Kim Possible), Captain of the guards.

"Next," Drakken said.

"Give me that," a Foot Ninja says to a witch named Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter series) as he snacthes her broom. He snaps her broom in half and says, "Your flying days are over, weirdo!"

"That's twenty pieces of silver for the witch," Drakken said as he handed the money to the man. "Next!"

"Get up, come on," a Foot Ninja said as he drags Luna away.

"Twenty pieces," Drakken said again.

In line, a woman named Medusa (The Rescuers) is turning in six figures. The first figure is a 16-year-old girl with short dark orange hair in a ponytail and purple eyes. She wore a white shirt with light blue short sleeves, blue jeans, a brown belt, brown wrists bands, short white socks, and purple shoes. Her name is Rika Nonaka.

The second figure is a 16-year-old girl with short dark blue hair and large light periwinkle pupils eyes. She wore a black net undershirt, a white light jacket, white long shorts, blue sandels. Her name is Hinata Hyuga.

The third figure was a 17-year-old boy with raven black hair and brown eyes. He wore a white undershirt, a black hat, blue jeans, white shocks, and custom shoes. His name is Ash Ketchem and Misty's boyfriend.

The fourth figure was a 15-year-old girl with blue eyes and dark blue hair. She wore a white beanie cap, a white undershirt, black and pink vest, pink skirt, pink knee high boots, and a large yellow bag. Her name is Dawn Berlitz

The fifth figure was an 17-year-old boy with spiky brown hair and black eyes. He wore a black short sleeve collar shirt, green pants, and black and green shoes. His name is Gary Oak and Dawn's boyfriend.

The sixth figure was a 16-year-old girl with short orange hair and green eyes. She wore a short yellow button shirt, yellow shorts and custom shoe. Her Misty Waterflower.

The group watches as a Foot Ninja shuts another coach containing other creatures and the coach goes off. Kari turns and sees Simba, Nala, and Kiara (Lion King 2). Simba and Nala were together in one cage, while Kiara is in a little one.

"This cage is too small." Kiara sobbed as Nala tried to comfort her.

The gang turned back to Medusa. "Please don't turn us in!" Hinata said, "We'll never be stubborn again. We can change!"

"Please give us a chance!" Rika pleaded, "At least let Hinata, Ash, Gary, Dawn, and Misty go. They don't deserve this!"

"Oh, shut up!" Medusa snapped, getting ready to strike her as Rika cringes.

"Next," Drakken said, "What have you got?"

A man walks up to him and says, "This rabbity-thing who's also a member of the Freelance Police." he then holds up said rabbity-thing which has white fur, black eyes, long ears and triangular sharp teeth. His name is Max (Sam and Max).

"I'm not a Freelance Police officer," Max says, "I'm just a regular rabbit."

"Explain this then." the man says, revealing his badge.

"Five shillings for that rabbity-thing." Drakken says, "Take him away."

"I'll get you for this, pal! SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN!" Max yelled as he was taken away. The man took the money and walks off.

"Next," Drakken says without looking up, "What have you got?"

"Well," Medusa said, "I got three Pokemon trainers, one Pokemon coordenators, a Digimon partner without a Digimon, and a unwanted Ninja!"

Drakken looks up and says, "Right-uh." he then smiles and says, "Well, that's good for ten shillings. If you can prove those trainers and coordenators have a pokemon."

"Oh, go ahead, little fellas." Medusa says, taking off the six ropes. They didn't talk, they just stared at Medusa and then at Drakken, who raised an eyebrow.

"Well?" Drakken asked, expectantly.

"Oh, uh, they're just nervous," Medusa said, "They're really quite chatterboxes!" she then leaned down and almost struck them. "If you bone-headed dolts don't talk, I swear I'm going to-"

"That's it," Drakken said, "I've heard enough." He then turned to two of the guards and said, "Foot Ninjas!"

"No, no," Medusa said, "They have pokmon! They do!" she then pretended to be Ash, by being a ventriloquist. "I have pokemon! I have lots of them!"

Drakken wasn't convinced as he ordered to the Foot Ninjas, "Get this mad woman out of my sight."

"No! No!" Medusa said as she was dragged away, "I swear! Oh! They have pokemon!"

As Medusa was struggling to get out of the Foot Ninja's grasp, she kicked a fairy named Tinkerbell out of the hands of a boy named Trunks (DBZ) and the cage landed on the sixs heads. They got sprinkled with fairy dust and began to fly away.

"Hey!" Rika said in surprise, "We can fly!"

"They can fly!" Goten said.

"They can fly!" The Babylon Rouges (Sonic Riders) said in unison. Drakken realized that Medusa had been telling the truth and that the trainer Ash has a pokemon, his pikachu had popped out of his backpack.

"They have POKEMON!"Drakken said.

Then, Gray laughed and said, "That's right, pal! Now we're flying, talking, and powerful toons! You might have seen a house fly, maybe even a super fly, but I bet you have never seen Digimon trainer, teens, and a ninja fly!" he and the group then laughed with joy as they flew away, but the fairy dust is starting to wear off.

"Uh-oh." Misty and Dawn said in unison, realizing what was about to happen next. They all landed on the groud.

"Seize them!" Drakken shouted.

"Hey guys, I got an idea." Rika said to her friends, "How about we...RUN FOR OUR LIVES?"

"GOOD IDEA!" the others said in unison as they took off running into the forest with the Foot Ninjas in pursuit.

"After them!" Drakken shouted.

"They're getting away!" the Foot Ninjas shouted at once, "Get them! This way!"

Rika, Ash, Gary, Dawn, Misty, and Hinata kept running and they litterally ran into a familiar white bat. Rouge turned around and glared at the group who bumped into her. Rika,Ash,Gary and their friends stood scared for a moment, until they heard the Foot Ninja's starting to approach. The group quickly hid behind Rouge.

"You there," Drakken said, trying not to be afraid, "Thief!"

"Yes?" Rouge asked.

The ninjas are starting to look nervous, except Drakken, who takes out a scroll and reads from it, "By the order of Princess Cassidy," he said, "I am authorized to place all of you under arrest and transport you to a designated resettlement facility."

Rouge walks up to him, making the blue-skinned man nervous. "Oh yeah?" Rouge asked, "You and what army, pal?"

She then grinned. Drakken looked behind him, expecting back up, but to his shock, the Foot Ninjas have ran off. Drakken gasps and turns around and runs away, screaming like a little girl.

Rouge rolled her eyes, scoffed, turned around, and headed back home. The group looks amazed. They were just saved by a Thief. No one, let alone a Thief, would do that for them.

The six ran after Rouge as Ash says, "Can we say something to you?"

"Listen, you were really something back there." Gary said.

"Incredible!" Dawn added.

Rouge turned around and asked, "Are you guys talking to...?" but then she turned around and saw that there was nobody there. "Me?" Rouge shrugged it off and turned around again, but nearly jumped out of her boots when she saw the group appear in front of her like magic.

"Yes we were talking to you." Rika said.

"Can I tell you that you were really great back there?" Misty began, "Those ninjas! They thought they were all of that! Then you showed up and BAM! They were tripping over themselves like little kids in the woods. That really made me feel good to see that."

"Oh, that's great," Rouge said sarcastically, "Really."

"Man, it's good to be free." Hinata said happily.

"You said it!" Misty agreed.

"Now, why don't you go celebrate your freedom with your own friends? Hmm?" Rouge asked them as she walked away, but the group looked very downhearted.

"But, uh, our friends aren't here right now. All we have is each other." Rika said.

"And we're definitely not going back there by ourslves." Dawn said until she got an idea, "Hey, wait a minute! I got a great idea! We'll stick with you!"

"That is a great plan." Ash added.

"Yeah. You're a mean, lean, fighting machine! Together, we can scare anybody who crosses us!" Gary agreed.

Rouge rolls her eyes in annoyance and turns to the gang. She took a deep breath and let out a loud screech, trying to scare the group off. Much to her surprise, it failed.

"Wow." Hinata said, "That was really scary."

"Yeah, and if you don't mind me saying, if that dosen't work, your breath will get the job done. You definitely need to try a tic-tac or some mouthwash, because your breath stinks!" Gary yelled, earning an elbow in the arm from Dawn.

Rouge turns to leave, but Misty pops out, upside down, hanging from a log.

"Man you almost took my hair off," Misty says, "Just like the time..." Rouge covers Misty's mouth in an attempt to shut him up, but it's not working. Rouge removes her hand and Misty continues, "And then I ate some bad food..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Not that story, Misty!" Ash interupted.

"Sorry." Misty said.

"Why are you guys following me?" Rouge asked as she left.

"We'll tell you why." Misty said as she got down from the log. Then she and the others started to sing

Misty, Rika, and Hinata: **Cause we're all alone**

Ash and Gary: **There's no one here beside us**

Dawn: **Our problems have all gone**

Rika: **There's no one to deride us**

All: **But you gotta have frien-**

"STOP SINGING!" Rouge shouts. The group does so. Rouge grabs Ash by his shirt and says, "I'm surprised you even have friends at all!"

"Wow," Hinata said, "Only a true friend would be that cruelly honest!"

"Look, Ninja and friends!" Rouge said angrily, "Take a good look at me! What am I?"

The group look Rouge up and down.

"Uh...really short?" Gary asked.

"Really white?" Ash asked.

"NO!" Rouge answered, "I'm a Bat! A Thief! I Have Fangs! You know, 'Grab your torch and stakes!' Dosen't that bother any of you at all?"

"Nope." the group answered.

"Really?" Rouge asked in surprise. She never heard anybody say that answer before.

"Really, really." Dawn said with a smile.

"Oh." Rouge said.

"I like you, my name's Ash." Ash said.

"I'm Misty Waterflower, Ash's girlfriend." Misty said.

"I'm Dawn Berlitz, Gary's girlfriend." Dawn said.

"I'm Gary Oak." Gary said.

"Im Rika." She said.

"I'm Hinata." She said **(She's not with Hyuga clan cause she a rogue ninja)**

"What's your name?" Gary asked Rouge.

"Uh, Rouge...The Bat."

"Rouge?" Rika asked.

"Well, you know what we like about you Rouge?" Ash began, "You got that kind of attitude that screams 'I-don't-care-what-nobody-thinks-of-me'!"

"I like that. I respect that, Rouge. You're a-okay!" Rika said as they approached the middle of the forest, with a house in the hill.

"Whoa! Look at that!" Dawn said, "Who would live in a place like that?"

"That, Dawn," Rouge said, feeling insulted, "Would be my home."

"Oh! And it is lovely! Just beautiful. I'm just shocked at what you can do with such a modest budget!" Hinata stops and comments on a boulder and says, "I like that boulder."

"Oh brother," Gary said as he rolled his eyes.

"Yes, that is a nice boulder." Dawn said, but then they stop and notice Rouge's "keep out" signs.

"You don't entertain much, do you?" asked Ash

"I like my privacy." Rouge said.

"I do, too. That's another thing we have in common." Misty said, "I just hate it when you got this annoying person in your face, you try to give them a hint, but they still won't go away!"

"Yeah!" Rika agreed, "Then there's that big awkward...silence."

Sure enough, there was a big awkward silence. Rouge turned and glared at the group.

"Uh," Hinata said, "Can we stay with you?"

"I-What?" Rouge asked in surprise. She wasn't expecting this.

"What Hinata was asking was 'Can we stay with you, please?'" Rika repeated.

Rouge smiles and said in sarcasm, "Of course you can."

"Really?" the group asked hopefully.

"Not in your life." Rouge said flatly.

"Please!" Dawn whined, "We don't wanna go back there!"

"You have no idea what it's like to be considered a freak!" Misty stared at Rouge for a moment as Rouge gives her a look that says 'actually, I do'.

"Well, maybe you do." Gary said, "But that's why we gotta stick together. You gotta let us stay! Please! Please!"

"Alright, ALRIGHT!" Rouge said in defeat, "Okay! But just for tonight."

She opens the door and the group says, "Thank you!"

They rush in and hop up on a chair and the couch.

"Hey," Rouge said, "What are you...? No! No! No!"

"This is gonna be fun!" Misty, Dawn, and Rika said.

"Yeah!" Ash added, "We can stay up late, share stories with each other, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!"

Rouge growled angrily.

"Where do we sleep?" Misty asked.

"OUTSIDE!" Rouge shouted as she pointed out the door.

The group got the idea.

"Oh, well I guess that's cool," Gary said, "I mean we don't know you and you don't know us, so outside is best I guess."

"Here we go. Good night." Rika added. After they exit, Rouge angrily slams the door shut.

For a moment, Rouge feels a little guilty, but shakes it off. She sighed and walked away from the door as the group continued to talk.

"I like the outdoors." Ash said, "I'm a Trainer. I was like the out."

"Yeah and I'm good with that." Rika added, "We'll just be sitting by ourselves, outside, I guess. By ourselves, outside." They then began to sing again.

All: **We're all alone**

**There's no one here beside us...**


	4. A Crazy Adventure pt1

Later that night, Rouge is sitting down at her table eating dinner. After taking a drink, she looks back at the door where Ash, Gary, Dawn, Misty, Rika and Hinata are. To tell the truth, Rouge had been feeling a little guilty about what she did earlier. But this is the way she usally is, and she likes her privacy.

Rouge lights a candle and carves her dinner. From outside, the group watches Rouge eat. They silently leave the window and sat on the doorstep as Dawn curled up in Gary's lap and Misty used Ash's lap as a pillow, trying to get some sleep. Just as Rouge is about to take a bite to eat, she hears a noise like the door being open.

Rouge gets up and says, "I thought I told you brats to stay outside!"

"What are you talking about?" Rika asked from the window

"1) Were not brats, 2) We are outside!" Ash said

Rouge looked and to her surprise, notices they are outside.

"But," Rouge began, "If you ARE outside, then who's...?" she was cut off as she hears more movement and sees shadows on the wall. Suspiciously, Rouge looks under the table and sees nothing. She then hears two small voices and looks up to see Three small mouse, Jerry the mouse, his nephew Nibbles, and his cousin Muscles.(Tom&Jerry)

"Uncle Jerry?" said little Nibbles, "Where are we?"

The little but larger than Nibbles mouse named Jerry wonder and shrugged his shoulder.

"Were in a house in the forest little cousin." said Muscles a muscled brown mouse that looked alike form the the quiet Jerry.

"AH HA! Gotcha!" Rouge shouted as she grabbed Nibbles, only to discover that Nibbles had bounced out of her grip and is now sitting on her shoulder.

"I found food, Jerry!" Nibbles announced. He bit Rouge's ear, causing the Bat Lady to yelp in pain, and made a face of disgust. "Blah! Awful stuff!"

Nibbles bounces down and catapults some food into Rouge's eye; which would have blinded her if it wasn't for her quick reflexes it would of hit her.

"THAT'S IT!" Rouge shouted angrily, grabbing the three mouse, "What are you doing in my house?"

Suddenly, something bumped her from behind, making her drop the mouse.

"HEY! What the...?" Rouge asked.

She turned to see a teenaged boy with raven black hair, a white shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers. His name is Danny Fenton/Phantom (Danny Phantom). He was lying in a coffin. Mai turned and saw the Mew Mews standing there as well. Bridgette and Kikki waved innocently.

"Oh-no-no-no-no-no!" Rougesaid, "Dead brat off the table!" She then pushed the coffin towards the Mew Mews.

"Well, where are we supposed to put him?" Kikki asked.

"Yeah, the bed's taken!" Zoey said.

"What?" Rouge asked in shock and confusion. She went to her bedroom and saw a grizzly bear named Boog (Open Season) in her bed.

"What?" Boog asks her.

Rouge grabs Boog by the scruff of his neck and surprisingly picks him up and preparing to throw him out of her house.

"I live in the forest," Mai said, "I put up signs! I'm a terrifying Thief !" She opens the door and says, as she tosses Boog out, "Just what do I have to do to get some privacy?" What she saw next made her eyes widen. There were thousands of freaks, anime, cartoon creatures/ characters, ect., gathered outside her home.

"Oh, no." Rouge muttered. "NO! NOOO!"

Rouge quickly hit the ground just as Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs (How to Train Your Dragon) flew by on their dragons, preparing to land. Snow and Heat Miser (A Year Without a Sata Cluas) were preforming their acts for a group of toons. Simba, Nala, and Kiara huddled around the fire together.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY FOREST?" Rouge shouted out.

Flora, Fauna and Merryweather (Sleeping Beauty) gasp and hide in a tent. Mario and Luigi (Mario series) clung to each other and ducked behind a bush.

"Alright," Rouge said, "GET OUT! All of you, move it! Let's go! Beat it! Scram! Hey! Come on, quickly!" But it seemed like no one wanted to listen. A group of yellow creatures called Minnions (Dispecable Me!) made a run for Rouge's house. "No, no," Rouge said as she saw them running towards her house. "No, no. Not there. NOT IN THERE!"

It was too late. The Minnions shut the door and locked her out. Rouge turned and glared at the group.

"Oh, no!" Ash said defensively, "You're not putting the blame on us!"

"Yeah, we didn't invite these freaks." Gary said.

"Well, duh," Max the rabbit said, "Nobody invited us."

"WHAT?" Rouge asked, turning to the rabbity-thing.

"We were forced here." Max the rabbit added.

"By who?" Rouge asked.

"Princess Cassidy! That's 'who'!" Jet The Hawk said.

"Yeah," Storm The Albatross agreed, "She huffed and she puffed and she...signed an eviction notice on us."

"Thats the big bad wolf you idiot!" Wave The Swallow said.

Rouge sighed and said, "Okay. Who knows where this...Cassidy girl is?"

"Oh, we do!" Dawn shouted.

"We know where she is!" Rika added while shouting.

Rouge ignored them. She didn't want to end up traveling with the group.

"Does ANYONE ELSE know where to find her?" Rouge asked. Kiara raised her paw, but Nala put her paw down. Boog pointed to Jack Sparrow (POTC) who pointed at Boog. "Anyone at all?"

"Us! Us!" Rika, Dawn, Misty, and Hinata shouted, starting to jump up and down.

"Anyone?" Rouge asked more desperately, but still ignoring them.

"Oh," Rika said as she, Dawn, Misty, and Hinata continued to jump up and down as Ash and Gary sweatdroped.

"This is embarrassing." Ash said.

"Agreed." Gary said.

Rouge groaned and rolled her eyes, now knowing that she's stuck with the six.

"Okay, fine." Rouge said with a sigh, "Attention all...Freaks, anime, whatever! Don't go making yourself comfy, because your welcome is officially worn out! As a matter of fact, I'm gonna see this Princess Cassidy woman right now! I'm getting you all off my land and back where you came from!"

Everybody then cheered happily.

"And you six (seven if you count pikachu)," Rouge said to the group, "You're coming with me."

"Wait. I understand the others, but why do I have to come?" Gary asked.

"One: You are friends and/or grilfriend to them or at one of them," Rouge said, "Two: I don't trust you alone here with these guys, and Three: through six..." she then balled her right hand into a fist. Gary got the idea.

"Sorry I asked." Gary said.

"Alright," Misty said, "That's what I like to hear!, Ash, Gary, Dawn, Misty, Rika and Hinata ; six friends off on an adventure! I LOVE IT!" the group then began to sing again.

All (except Rouge): **On the road again**

"Sing it with us, Rouge!" Rika said. Then the group continued singing.

All (except Rouge):** I just can't wait to get on the road again**

Rouge turned to them and said, as she took a torch from a fat toon named Wario, "What did I tell you about singing?"

"Can we whistle?" Ash asked.

"No." Rouge flatly said.

"Can we hum it?" Hinata asked.

"Alright, hum it." Rouge gave in.

As they went off, the group continued to hum.


	5. Cassloc

Somewhere in a castle, someone slams a bucket of water down. A woman walks towards the torture chamber. This woman is a 20-year-old woman with purple eyes and gold hair. She wore a black shirt with a red "R" on it, a black skirt, black boots, black gloves, a tiara, and pink earrings that look like upside down triangles. Her name is Princess Cassidy. She watched as her body guard, Harley (Pokemon), dunks someone into a bucket.

"No! Stop, please," a robotic male voice is heard as he's dunked into the bucket again and again.

"That's enough, Harley." Cassidy commanded, "He's ready to talk."

Harley stops dunking the person and reveals the source of the male voice. This "person" was actually a small blue and silver robot thar resemeble a small boy. His name is Robotboy. He gasps for breath as he's set down on the table and pinned down.

Cassidy laughs evily as she walks to the table. She stops when she realizes the table is too high for her. She clears her throat and Harley pulls a lever, lowering the table a little.

Robotboy glared at her as Cassidy said mockingly, "So, THIS is the mighty Robotboy, huh?"

"You monster!" Robotboy said in a mixture of fear and anger.

"I'm not the monster here, you are!" Cassidy said, "You and those other freaks destroying my perfect world. Now, tell me: where are the others?" she demanded.

"Make me!" Robotboy snapped as he spat onto Cassidy's cheek. Cassidy wiped away the oil mixed water.

"You know, I've tried to be fair to you freaks of nature and fantasy, but now my patience has reached it's end!" Cassidy said, "Tell me or I'll..." she then grabbed Robotboy's batteries, attempting to pull them out.

"No, not batteries!" Robotboy shouted as he realized what she was about to do, "Anything but batteries! Nobody likes to play with a robot doll!"

"Alright, then," Cassidy said, shinning a bright light on him, "Who's hiding them?"

"Okay, you win." Robotboy said, "I'll tell you. Do you know Tenchi?"

" Tenchi?" Cassidy asked.

"Tenchi." Robotboy said with a nod.

"Yes," Cassidy said thoughtfully, "I know Tenchi. Who lives in country of Japan?"

"Well, she's married to Tenchi."

" To Tenchi?" Cassidy asked.

"To Tenchi!" Robotboy screamed hysterically.

Cassidy turned her back and said thoughtfully, "She's married to Tenchi."

Robotboy smirks, enjoying the fun he's getting out of confusing Cassidy. Suddenly, the door opens and Drakken comes in.

"Princess Cassidy," he said, "We've found him."

"What are you waiting for then?" Cassidy asked, "Bring her in!"

Two Foot Ninjas brought in a large green gem with a figure on it. The figure was strange water creature it had and all you can bright green eye and what looked like a brain in the top of its head. It was Chaos, god of destruction.

Harley gasped as the others stared in awe.

"Oh," Robotboy said, knowing that this meant trouble.

"The Physic Water Being," Cassidy began.

"Don't tell her anything, Chaos!" Robotboy shouted.

Cassidy turns and glares at the robot toy. She angrily throws him into a crate and closes the lid.

"No!" Robotboy shouted, "Let me out! Let me out!"

Cassidy turned to Chaos and said, "Evening. Okay let's get this over with, 'The only Physic Water Being of all, is this kingdom perfect from wall to wall?'"

"Well," Chaos said, "It's technically not a kingdom because your not a queen."

"Uh, Harley?" Cassidy said.

Harley took a glass of water and smash it in his gloved hand

Cassidy turned back to her and said, with a smirk to the shivering water god, "You were saying?"

"What I meant to say, um," Chaos began nervously, "Was that you're not a queen YET."

Cassidy still scowled at her, hoping to get a better answer.

"You can become one, however. All you have to do is marry a prince."

"Go on," Cassidy said, a bit interested.

Chaos sighed in relief and then says to Cassidy, "So, just sit back and relax, my lady," she then began to talk in an announcer's voice, "Because it's time for you to meet today's eligible bachelors and here they are!"

A monitor with three silhouettes of princes appeared on the mirror.

"Bachelor number one is a handsome prince from Hidden Leaf Village. He is a ninja in training, hoping to avenge his murder clan. Please welcome...Sasuke Uchiha!" The silhouette faded into a picture of Sasuke.

Cassidy looked amazed at this as Chaos continued.

"Bachelor number two is a ghost-fighting superhero from Amity Park. Although he lives with the Mew Mews, he's not easy. Just kiss those dead, frozen lips and find out what a live wire he is. Come on. Give it up for...Danny Fenton/Phantom!" The silhouette faded into a picture of the same teenager that was back in the coffin at Mai's house, making Cassidy's eyes become hearts for a bit.

"And last, but certainly not least, Bachelor number three is a fiery redhead from a Demon monster-guarded castle, surrounded by hot boiling lava! But don't let that cool you off. He's a loaded pistol who loves curry and rice, steak and shrimp, sparing, and getting caught in the rain. Yours for the rescuing! Prince Knuckles!" Cosmo shows pictures of a monster that resembles a large red fox with ninetails in a castle surrounded by lava and a picture of said prince. He has purple eyes, and real red hair in a dreadlock hairstyle. He wears a long red open jacket with a white musle shirt, blue jeans, black shoes and a green shard connected with a string around his neck. His name is Knuckles.

Everyone cheered wildly as Chaos said, "So, will it be Bachelor number one, Bachelor number two, or Bachelor number three?"

Cassidy tried to think as the guards (the female guards and one male) shouted out their favorite numbers.

"Two! Two!" they shouted. And much to everyone's shock, Drakken is doing it as well. "Three! Three! Two! Two! Three!"

"Three?" Cassidy asked herself, trying to make up her mind, "One? Three?"

"Three!" Harley said, as he held up two fingers, "Pick number three, Cassidy!"

"Okay, okay," Cassidy said as she finaly decided, "I choose Bachelor number...Three!"

"Princess Cassidy," Chaos began, "You've chosen; Prince Knuckles."

Chaos shows Knuckles's picture once more and the crowd cheers.

**If you like Pina Coladas**

**And getting caught in the rain**

"Prince Knuckles," Cassidy said, "He's perfect. All I have to do is find some moron to go..."

Just then, Chaos remembered a very important fact about Joey.

"Um, I should probably mention the little thing that happens at night," Chaos said.

"I'll do it!" Cassidy said.

"Yeah," Chaos tried to say, "But after sunse-"

"SHUT IT, BIG DRIP!" Cassidy yelled to silence Chaos. "I'll make this Prince Knuckles my king, and Cassloc will finally have the perfect queen!" she then turned to Drakken and said, "Dr. Drakken, assemble the finest woman warriors you can find. We're going to have a tournament!"


	6. Cassloc's Battle Royal

The next day, Rouge, Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, and Dawn came out of a field and arrived at the castle.

"Okay, that's it," Ash said.

"That's it, right there; that's Cassloc. I told you we knew where it was." Misty said.

Rouge looked the castle up and down and said, "So, this must be Princess Cassidy's castle."

"Yep," Hinata said, "That's the place."

"They don't get much bigger then this." Hinata added.

"Do you think she's compensating for something?" Rouge asked and chuckled at her own joke. Rouge notices how the group didn't get her joke and walks away as they follow.

"Hey, wait. Wait up, Rouge!" Dawn said.

"Yeah, we're coming." Rika added.

As Rouge and the group walk to the admission center, they notice a woman dressed in a Cassidy costume clipping tickets.

"Hurry, darling," a man said to his wife as they left, "We're going to be late."

"Hey you!" Rouge shouted to the woman in the costume.

The woman screams and begins running away through the rows of ropes.

"Wait a minute," Rouge said, "Look, I'm not going to try and eat you. I just-I just-" Rouge sighs and rolls her eyes as she walks straight through the ropes, followed by Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, and attendent ran into a wall and fell down. The nine look down at her and came to the rail. Rouge passed through, followed by Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, but Dawn had some trouble getting through. She was then flung out of it onto the ground.

Rouge sighed as she and the others entered Cassloc. They looked around and noticed that the town was empty and quiet.

"It's quiet," Rouge said, "Too quiet. Where is everybody?"

Ash spotted an information booth and said, "Hey, guys look at this!"

He ran over and pulled the lever. The music winds up and Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, and Dawn Try to hide behind Rouge. After it finished, the box doors opened revealing a bunch of small animatronic people. They then began to sing:

**Welcome to Cassloc,**

**Such a perfect town!**

**Here we have some rules**

**Let us lay them down.**

**Don't make waves, stay in line**

**And we'll get along fine,**

**Cassloc is a perfect place!**

**Please keep off of the grass,**

**Shine your shoes, wipe your...**

They bend down, and for a moment it looks like they're about to say the next word, until they turn around and sing:

**Face**

**Cassloc is, Cassloc is**

**Cassloc is a perfect plaaaccceee!**

As the annoying song ends, the doors close and there is a flash of light. A photo came out of the booth with Rouge, Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, and Dawn's dumbfounded expressions on it. Sure enough, that's the same look they were wearing right now.

"That...was weird." Hinata and Rika said.

"I second that." Gary agreed.

"Me too." Misty said.

"Me three." Ash agreed.

"Wow." Dawn said.

"Let's do that again!" Dawn and Hinata shouted.

They were about to run over and pull the lever again, but Gary and Rika stopped them by grabbing them and pulling them back.

"No," Rouge said, "No. No, no, no. No!"

At that moment, they heard fanfare come from an arena nearby. As Rouge, Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, and Dawn walk down the tunnel, we hear Cassidy talking.

"Brave lady knights and female warriors," Cassidy was saying, "You are the best of the best and the brightest of the bright in the land. Today one of you shall prove yourself..."

Dawn and Hinata were humming the "Welcome to Cassloc" song and it was driving Rouge crazy. The others sigh in annoyance.

Rouge turns to tham and says, "Okay, you guys are heading the right way for being slapped silly."

"Sorry about that." Dawn said.

"We'll shut up." Hinata added.

Rouge, Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, and Dawn come out of the tunnel and see Cassidy standing on top of a podium.

"That champion," Cassidy continued, "Will have the honor-no, no, no-the privilege to go forth and rescue the handsome Prince Knuckles from the firey keep of the Nine Tailed Fox monster. If, for any reason what so ever, the winner is unsuccessful, the first runner-up will take her place and so on and so forth. Some of you will not come back alive, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

A man nearby holds up a sign that says 'Cheer', which the crowd does exactly.

"Let the tournament begin!" Cassidy shouted.

Rouge walks through the knights and female warriors as they move away with frightened looks.

"What the heck is that?" Cassidy asked angrily, at the sight of Rouge, "Ugh! It's hideous!" she said, disdainfully.

"Hey, that's not very nice," Rouge said as she motioned to the group, "It's just three Pokemon Trainer, a Pokemon Coordinator, and a Digimon Trainer."

"Huh?" Dawn, Hinata, and Misty ask in confusion, but Ash, Gary, Rika knew what she meant.

"Hey!" Ash said, offended by what Rouge just said.

"Uh-huh," Cassidy said, "Knights, new plan! The one who ends the life of that mobian, will be named champion! Have at her!"

"Get her," the women shouted.

The knights began advancing on the nine.

"Oh, hey," Rouge said as she backed away, "Now come on! Hang on." She bumped into a table with mugs of soda and holds up a mug of Coke.

"Go ahead, get her!" the crowd shouted.

"Can't we just talk about this over a drink?" Rouge asked.

The knights didn't respond, but one shouted, "Kill the beast!"

"No?" asked Rouge, "Okay then." She then drank up to Coke and said, as she knocked off each spigot of the soda barrels, "Bring it on!"

The soda came rushing out and drenched some of the knights. Rouge slid across the mud like a hockey player and knocked down a knight with a spear.

**I don't give a dang about my reputation**

**You're living in the past, it's a new generation**

Ash and his girlfriend Misty climbed on top of a barrel of soda. It broke free of it's ropes and rolled away, squashing a few knights in the process. As the other knights chased after Rouge ,Hinata uses her former clan's power to take out some of the knights. Dawn and Gary called some of their pokemon take out some knights as well.

Rouge ran into a nearby ring where the horses were penned and the horses then ran out in fear.

Hey, a girl can do what she wants to do

And that's what I'm gonna do

Rouge bounces off the ropes and knocks out two of the knights as the crowd watches.

**And I don't give a dang about my bad reputation**

**Oh no**

**No, no, no, no, no, no, no**

**Not me**

**Me, me, me, me, me, me**

Rouge did a body slam on one of the knights. But then, another knight aims her spear at Rouge and the crowd gasps. But Rouge stops the other knight just in time.

"Hey, Rouge," Ash shouted, "Tag me! Tag me!"

Rouge tags Ash and Ash head butts the knight.

**And I don't give a dang about my reputation**

**I never said I wanted to improve my station**

**Rouge gets up on the ropes and interacts with the crowd.**

**And I'm only feeling good**

**When I'm having fun**

"Yeah!" Rouge shouted. Another one of the knights snuck up on Rouge. Rouge saw her and uses a Black wave attack on her.

"The chair," a crowd member named Jasmine ( Aladdin) shouts, "Give her the chair!"

**And I don't give a dang about my bad reputation**

**Oh no**

**No, no, no, no, no, no, no**

**Not me**

**Me, me, me, me, me, me**

**Oh no**

**No, no, no, no, no, no, no**

**Not me**

**Me, me, me, me, me, me**

Rouge smashes one of the knights with a chair and continued using wrestling moves on the other knights.

She swings a knight about and Hinata follows the knight's movements with her head, until Rouge throws the knight across the ring. Hinata kicks the knight's helmet, making a ringing noise like that of a wrestling ring. The crowd went wild.

"Oh yeah!" Rouge said, "Ah! Ah!" Rouge cheered as she pumped her arms up, "Thank you! Thank you very much! You're a lovely crowd! I'm here until Thursday! Try the veal!" Rouge laughed.

Cassidy gave a nod and the entire Foot Clan Ninjas aim their crossbows at Rouge, Hinata, Rika, Ash, Misty,Gary, and Dawn. The crowd gasps.

"Want me to give the orders, ma'am?" Drakken asked.

"No," Cassidy said with a smirk, "I have a better idea." She then held her hands up as she pointed to Mai and said, "People of Cassloc! I give you our champion!"

The crowd cheers as the group looks confused.

"What?" Rouge asked.

"Did we miss something here?" Ash and Dawn asked in unison.

"Congratulations, Master Thief," Cassidy said, "You've won the honor of embarking on a great and noble quest!"

"Quest?" Rouge asked in disbelief, "Listen, Prima Donna! I'm already on a quest, a quest to get my forest back!"

"Your forest?" Cassidy asked, looking uninterested.

"Yeah," Rouge said, "My forest! Where YOU dumped all those freaks!"

"Indeed," Cassidy said. She did dump them there, but she had know idea the forest was occupied. She then snapped her fingers, getting an idea. "Okay, Great Thief," Cassidy said, "I'll cut you a deal. Go on this quest for me, and I will give you your forest back."

"Exactly the way it was?" Rouge asked.

"Down to the last termite invested tree stump."

"And the squatters?"

"Consider them gone."

Rouge stared at the archers, knowing what will happen if she refused. She then turns to Cassidy and asks, "What kind of a quest are talking about here?"

A while later, Rouge and the group are walking through a field of sunflowers. Rouge was munching on an onion.

"Let me get this straight," Rika said, "You're going to fight an Demon Fox monster and rescue a prince, just so Cassidy will give you your forest back, which you don't have because she filled it with freaks and creatures in the first place. Is that right?"

Rouge sighed and turned around saying, "You know, maybe there's a good reason why Brats shouldn't talk."

"I don't get it," Ash said, "Why didn't you pull some of that Duel Monster stuff on her like you did on us? Attack her, lay siege to her fortress; bite her neck and drain her of her blood, the whole Vampiress trip?"

"Oh, I know." Rouge said sarcastically, "Maybe I could have slain the entire town, put their heads on a stick, gotten a knife, cut them open and drink their blood. Does that sound good to any of you?"

"Uh, no, not really, no." Misty said a little gross out.

"Thanks, now I'm gonna have nightmares." Dawn whined.

"For your information, there's more to Master Thiefs than people think." She said.

"Example?" Gary asked.

"Example? Okay. Duel Monsters are like...Onions." She show them and hope they would get it, sadly they didn't.

Mai held out the onion to the group. They sniffed it and made faces of disgust.

"They stink?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, th-" Rouge said, then realized what the question was and said, "No!"

"They make you cry?" Dawn asked.

"No!"

"When you leave them out in the sun too long, they get brown and start sprouting little white hairs?" Ash asked.

"No," Rouge said as she peeled away a layer of the onion, "Layers! Onions have layers! Thiefs have layers! Onions have layers! Don't you get it? We both have layers!"

Rouge threw the onion down and walked off.

"Oh, you both have layers," Hinata said. She sniffed the onion and made a face of disgust. "Not everybody likes onions, you know."

Dawn thought for a moment and said, "Cakes! Everyone loves cakes! Cakes have layers!"

Rouge turned and said, "I don't care...what everyone likes! Thiefs care not like cakes."

"You know what else everybody likes? Parfaits." Rika said.

"I can vouch for that." Ash said.

"Yeah, have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's go grab a parfait", and they say, "No thank you, I hate parfaits"? Parfaits are delicious." Gary said, unaware of Rouge showing signs of being annoyed.

"NO!" Rouge shouted, "You six dense, irritating, pains in the neck! Thiefs are like onions! End of story! Bye-bye! See you later."

Then Rouge continued to walk off and, for one moment, it seems like the group had shut up. But they continued to talk.

"Parfaits may be the most delicious things on the whole planet." Dawn said.

"You know," Rouge said, "I think I preferred your humming."

"Anybody got a tissue?" Ash asked, "Yummy food always makes me drool a bit."


	7. Kyuubi and His Caretaker

_**A/N: Well I'm going on a little vacation for a week so I can't update for awhile very, very, VERY!...Sorry**_

_**Musical Cats thanks for helping me with that mistake I made your the Best! **_**:) and R&R!**

**I'm on my way from misery to happiness today**

**Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh**

Rouge, Hinata, Ash, Dawn, Gary, and Rika walked through the night and moments later, they were fast asleep by a fire.

**I'm on my way from misery to happiness today**

**Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh**

The next morning, Rouge tried to put out the fire, but she yelped as she got burned and hopped up and down. Dawn called out her Piplup and told it to use Bubblebeam on the fire, putting it out, but had the grave misfortune of hitting Rouge in the face and fell down, but in mintues the group was for an angry Rouge.

**And everything that you receive up yonder**

**Is what you give to me the day I wander**

**I'm on my way**

**I'm on my way**

**I'm on my way**

The seven travelers arrived at the valcano. They climbed up and Dawn recoiled at a smell.

"Oh, Rouge," Dawn said, "Did you do that? You gotta warn someone first, my mouth was open."

"Believe me, Dawn," Rouge said, "If it was me...you'd be dead." Rouge sniffed the air and said, "It's brimstone. We must be getting close."

"Yeah, sure, brimstone," Ash said, "Don't go saying that it's brimstone. I know what we smelled and it wasn't brimstone. It didn't come from any stone."

After climbing up the mountain, they looked down. In the center is a boiling lake of lava, a rickety bridge, and the castle.

"Sure," Rouge said, trying to make a joke, "It maybe big enough, but would you just look at the location?" Rouge laughed and hopped down.

"Yeah," Rika said, trying to be funny, "It sure dose lighten the setting."

The others followed and Hinata said, "Uh, Rouge? Um, remember when you said that Master Thiefs have layers?"

"Yeah, why?" Rouge asked.

"Well, uh," Hinata said, "I've got a confession to make." She gasped when she saw a skeleton of a horse and knight that looked like the bottom part of was missing. "Ninjas don't have layers. Some of us wear our fear right there on our sleeves."

"Wait a second," Rouge said as she turned to Hinata, "I thought you were wearing a light jacket."

"You know what I mean!" Hinata said.

"Oh," Rouge said, "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights."

"No, no, I just feel a tiny bit uneasy about being on an ancient bridge swinging over a boiling lake of lava!" Hinata said as she looked down at said lake.

"Come on, Hinata," Rouge said, "Me and the guys are right here beside you, okay? For...emotional support. We'll just take this one little step at a time."

"R-R-Really?" Hinata asked.

"Really, really," Rouge said.

"Okay, I'm feeling a little better now knowing that." Hinata said as the group started crossing the bridge.

"Just keep moving, Hinata." Misty said, supporting her friend.

"And don't look down, no matter what." Gary added.

"Okay," Hinata said, "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down. Keep on moving and, no matter what, don't look dow-" Suddenly, Hinata stepped on a piece of rotten wood as she watched it fall into the lava. "Hey...everybody..., **I'm looking down!" **She screamed in fear and said, "I can't do this! Just let me go back! I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

"But you're already halfway," Rouge said.

"Yeah," Hinata said, "But I know THAT half is the safe half!"

"Ugh. I don't have time for this," Rouge said in annoyance, "You go back!"

"Rouge, no wait!" Hinata shouted as she tried to get past Rouge and the others.

"Just, Hinata," Rouge said, shaking the bridge a little, "Let us through will ya ? HINATA!"

Hinata screamed and yelled, "Don't do that!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rouge said, "Do what? Oh, you mean this?" Rouge swayed the bridge from side to side again.

"Yes, that!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Yes?" Ash and Misty asked.

"She said yes." Dawn and Gary said to Rouge.

Rouge, considering the idea, said, "Yes, do it. Okay!"

Then, Rouge, Rika, Ash, Misty, Dawn,and Gary continued to sway the bridge from side to side again.

She screamed and said, "No, Rouge! No! STOP!"

"But you said to do it," Rouge said, laughing at Hinata pleas, "We're doing it!"

"Oh, no," Hinata said, "We're gonna die. We're gonna die. Guys, we're gonna die." But Hinata were unaware that they had been backing off the bridge and onto soild ground. Hinata looks down and said, "Oh."

Rouge came up to Hinata and placed her hand on her shoulder, saying, "That'll do, Hinata. That'll do."

She then walked towards the castle.

"Cool." Hinata said.

"So, where's this Demonic red fox, anyway?" Rika asked.

"Inside," Rouge said, "Waiting for us to rescue him."

"Uh, she was talking about the Fox monster, Rouge." Ash said.

Inside the castle, there were remanents of knights and female warriors long past who tried to rescue Prince Knucles and failed.

"Hey, Rouge," Ash whispered, "You afraid?"

"No," Rouge said, "but...Shh!"

"Oh, good," Gary said, "Neither are we." He then saw a skeleton and gasped. He,Dawn,Ash,Misty, and Rikahurried after Rouge with Rika saying, "I mean, there's nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear's a sensible response to an unfamiliar situation."

"A DANGEROUS unfamiliar situation, I might add." Hinata added, "With an Nine-Tailed Fox monster that has the power to flatten mountain, create tsunamis,and other terrifying things, it sure dosen't mean you're a coward."

"Yeah, and I'm no coward." Ash said. Suddenly, he bumbed into a skeleton of a knight and screamed.

"Guys," Rouge said, "Two things, okay? Shut...Up. Now, go over there and see if you guys can find some stairs."

"Stairs?" Hinata asked in confusion.

"I thought we were looking for the prince." Rika said.

"The prince," Rouge said, "Will be in the highest room of the tallest tower."

"How do you know he'll even be there?" Dawn asked skeptically.

"I read it in a book once." Rouge said as she put on some of the knight's armor and helmet, and walked off.

"Cool," Gary said as she and the group walked away, "You'll handle the Fox monster and we'll handle the stairs."

"We'll find those stairs. We'll beat them up, too. Those stairs won't know which way they're going!" Misty said as she, Ash, Gary, Dawn,and Rika entered an empty room and they looked around.

"Don't mess with me. I'm the stair master. I've mastered the stairs. I wish I could stand right here right now. I'd step all over it." Hinata said as she followed the group.

Hinata was unaware that, as she had been walking up the stairs and a red demonic eye had opened and was watching Hinata, and the same for Rika as a pair of pinkish-purple eyes watched her, Hinata and the group had a sudden sickening feeling that they were being watched and slowly turned around.

Elsewhere, in the castle, Rouge heard a low growl (which sounded like a mixture between a dog and a fox) and she saw the tower.

"Well," Rouge said, "At least we know where the prince is." She then looked concern as she turns and said, "But where the heck is the..."

Back in the empty room, Hinata and the others screamed, "DEMON FOX!"

The group took off running, just in time, and avoided getting blasted by ball of energy. A huge Fox monster then crashed through the wall going after Hinata and the group. Rouge turned around and noticed the group and the Fox demon. The monster blew a wave of energy at the group.

"Guys, look out!" Rouge said as she pulled Hinata out of the way and avoided getting fried herself. Hinata braced herself and her jacket was neatly set on fire for a moment, then went out. The teenage ninja shook all over and whimpered as the Fox demon was about to eat her.

"PIPLUP USE WHIRLPOOL!" Dawn shouted. A blast of rapidly spining water shoting it the Fox demon in the face. "Gotcha!" Dawn mocked.

The Nine-Tailed monster then shakes off its confusion and tried to grab Dawn in it's jaws, but Ash, Misty, and Gary pushed her out of the way just in time. It was about to blast another energy wave again, but stopped when Rouge grabbed one of it's tail, saying, "Gotcha!"

The Fox monster then lifted up it's tail and swung Rouge around. It soon flicked Rouge off of it's tail. Rouge flew through the air until she landed right in the tower and groaned. At that same moment, a male figure woke up and stared at Rouge.

Back outside, the Fox monster roared and blew a flaming wave after Hinata,Ash,Gary,Misty,Dawn, and Rika who grabbed a sword while running. Then ran out onto a stone bridge, but the Demon Fox destroyed their way of escape. The group tried to run the other way, but the monster blocked that way as well with its tails. Soon, the group were only stuck on a stone, with no way out.

The Fox Demon roared again. Rika,Misty,and Ash huddled together in fear as Dawn clung onto Gary and vice versa.

"No," Hinata said as she backed away, "Oh no, no!" Hinata almost lost her balance and the Fox monster roared again.

"My what big fangs you have!" Dawn said. The Fox monster roared again, taking what Dawn said as an insult.

"She means white, sparkling fangs!" Hinata injected, "I know you probably hear this alot from all your meals, but you must bleach or something, because that is one wonderful smile you got there." Upon hearing this, the monster blushed despite being red. "And is that mint I smell?" Hinata asked.

Ash looked confused for a moment, then turned to Gary and asked, "What is she doing?"

"Playing the "I don't want to die early" card." Gary whispered to him.

Hinata cleared her throat and said, "And you know what else? You're-"

The Nine-Tailed Fox burst into red light ball of energy and began to float towards the part of the bridge that wasn't destoryed in began to grow smaller as it floated closer to the stone bridge and had form a human like shape and only thing that you could see were a pair of smaller demon red eye in the shadows. When the group saw it take a human form they were alittle at ease. the figure then steped out of the shadow to that it was a guy with bright yellow hair with red fox ears on his head, red eyes, a lean but well built body, and only wearing a pair of red and orange pants and black sandels and with nine tails out of his backside.

"You're a GUY Fox monster. Oh, sure, I mean of course you're a guy Fox monster. Because, you're just reeking of such a sexy body...I mean of masculine muscle. I'm Hinata. What's your name?"

"Oh, oh," Dawn said, "I remember reading about the Foxes on my journey in the world with Ash-well, actually, Brock gave me copies of his notes about the subject. This guy is Gin-, uh, Jincha no, no...AH! One of the Tailed beasts and is the strongest Kyuubi and its Jinchuriki Naruto Uzumaki ."

"Hmm. Mind if I call you "Naru-kun"?" Hinata asked. However, when she turned around, she saw Kyuubi Jinchuriki winking at her. "Uh, what's wrong?" Hinata asked, "You got something in your eye?"

Suddenly a new voice was heared. "Well Naruto you seem to have a girlfriend my friend." The voice belong to a teenage boy that was no older than the group with sandy brown hair, pinkish eye, wearing a black muscle shirt and tan shorts with green also had a Bo staff with him. Naruto look at him and nodded.

Rika moved in front of the group with her sword ready to fight him." Who are you?" she said witha fire in her eyes.

"The name's Takato the caretaker of Naruto or as you put Kyuubi and might I say..." In a quick motion he knocked the sword from her hand and with the bo staff he wraped it around her to her back and pulled her closer to him and said,"you are quite a sight to see,Beautiful." Rika then blush at the compliment about being beautiful."You should leave your hair you look more pretty with it down, Beautiful." He said smiling at her.

"Thank you Tiger, I can call you can I?" Rika asked with her long hair down her back, smiling at him.

"Whatever you say Beautiful." He said.

"Well sense you two are no enemy of us, we can relax." Gary said.

Naruto then made a energy ring shaped like a heart around Hinata's head that sparkled over her. Upon seeing this, Hinata gulped, getting the message. "Oh, uh," Hinata said nervously as she backed away, "I'd love to stay and talk, but I don't do so well around energy rings, so..." she turned and yelled, "ROUGE!"

Naruto then grabbed Hinata by the waist with one of his tails and walk off with her.

"NO! ROUGE!, GUYS! HELP! HE'S TAKING ME TO HIS LAIR!" Hinata cried.

"Come on. We better go with and make sure he don't go to far with her." Takato said offering Rika his arm she took it and walk after them. Everyone agreed to the rescue or hang with them on the rescue mission. Each one walk with there partner hand and hand to Naruto's lair.


	8. Kyuubi's Lair and The Great Ecsape

_**A/N:Two chapters in the same day might as with go for three...later on! lets began the show!**_

Back up in the tower, the so called Master Thief disguised as a knight got up from the floor and shook her head. The prince stared at her and smiled softly. As Rouge got up, he laid back down and brushed himself off. Nothing happened yet. He picked up a bouquet of flowers and laid back down, but not before casting a glance at Rouge and then pretending to be asleep.

Rouge looked around the room and saw Prince Knuckles. She walked over to his bedside and looked over him and ignoring the fact he puckered up and Rouge shook him awake.

"WHOA! WHOA!" Knuckles shouted.

"Wake up." Rouge said.

"What is it?" Knckles snapped.

"Are you Prince Knuckles?" asked Rouge.

"I am," Rouge said, "Awaitin' a knight of female warrior so bold as to rescue me."

"Oh, that's really corny," Rouge said, "Now let's go!"

"Wait a minute," Knuckles said, "Mistress Knight, this beeth our first meeting. Shouldn't this be a romantic moment?"

"Yeah, sorry, honey," Rouge said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him along, "There's no time!"

"Hold everything'," Knuckles said, "What the heck are you doing? You know, you should've sweeped me off my feet out yonder window and onto your steed."

As Rouge struggeled with the lock, she stopped and turned around.

"You had a lot of time to plan this haven't you?" Rouge asked him.

Knuckles smiled, gave a goofy grin and nodded. Rouge broke the lock and Knuckles screamed. Then Rouge dragged him along.

"But we have to savor this moment," Knuckles said, "You could recite an epic poem for me. A ballad? A sonnet? A limerick?" He yanked his hand away and said, "Or something along those lines!"

"I don't think so." Rouge said.

Knuckles sighed and asked, "Would it be too much to ask for the name of my heroine?"

"Uh, Rouge The Bat ." she said.

Knuckles smiled and said, "Mistress Rouge." He cleared his throat and held out a hankerchief. "I pray that you would take this favor," he said, "as a token of my gratitude."

Rouge took it, stared at it, and said, "Thanks."

Rouge wiper her face peaking out of the lower part of the helmet while the rest cover her eye **( from Sonic & the BK)** and handed it back to Knuckles, who made a disgusted look. However, the look didn't last long when Knuckles heard a loud roar.

"Wha-YOU DIDN'T SLAY THAT MONSTER?" He asked in disbelief.

"It's on my freaking to-do list," Rouge snapped back, "Now come on!"

She grabbed his arm and dragged him along again.

"But this isn't right," Knuckles said, "You're supposed to charge in with your sword drawn and banner flying! All the other knights and female warriors did that!"

"Yeah," Rouge said as she saw a skeleton of a knight, "Right before they became nothing be ashes!"

"As good of a point as that is," Knuckles said, "It's not THE point." But suddenly, he noticed that Rouge seemed to be dragging him in the opposite direction. "What are you doin'?" asked Knuckles, "The exit's that way!"

"Well, I have to save my bunch of crazy teens." Rouge said.

"Just what kind of knight are you?" Knuckles asked.

"One of a kind honey," Rouge responded with a grin.

Rouge opened the door to a room and heard Hinata's voice. She looked down and saw some blonde kid with his surprisingly nine-tails, but had one coiled around Hinata's waist. She looked to another side of the room and saw the others waving at her with their backs against the wall and seeing Rika with another boy around her age.

"Slow down," Hinata was saying, "Slow down, dear, please. I believe it's healthy to know someone over a long period of time. Just call me the old-fashioned type." Hinata laughed worriedly and Rouge crept inside towards the balcony. Hinata continued as she was wrapped up in Naruto's tail.

"Huh," Rouge said with a smirk, "I had know idea the girl had it in her.","But who the other kid?."

Back with Hinata and Naruto...

"I don't think I really want to rush into a physical relationship. I'm not ready for a commitment of, um, this-magnitude really is the word I'm looking for right now-magnitude."

Naruto touched her the side of her face with his hand and started to rub her face soothingly and Hinata said, "H..H..Hey that is unwanted physical contact, N..Naruto kun! Hey, what are you doing?" she asked cautiously as he lit a chandelier with the snap of his fingers, "Okay, okay. Let's back up here and take this slowly. We should really get to know each other first as...Friends or aquantinces, maybe even pen pals."

"I'm on the road a lot," Hinata said, "But I love receiving cards- I'd really love to stay, but-" Hinata yelped in surprise as Naruto began to start tickling her. "HAHAHAhahaha...N... NO!" Hinata said laughing, "Stop Naru-kun k...kn...knock it off! I don't give permission to-hey, what are doing? Hey, now. slow down. No, no, no, no, no, NO! Oh!"

'Well, I think she's suffered enough,' Rouge thought with a smirk as she grabbed a chain and swung toward Naruto and missed.

She swung back, but suddenly, she stopped swinging. Rouge looked up and noticed the chain was jammed. Rouge pulled on the chain, but ended up falling down and pushing Hinata out of the way of being kissed. Rouge's eyes wided as Naruto kissed the left side of her face.

Naruto opened his eyes and roared transforming into Kyuubi. Rouge let go of the chain and the chandelier landed around Kyuubi's neck. Kyuubi roared in rage. Rouge jumped down, in slow-mo, and then she and Hinata took off.

"Rouge?" Gary asked as he and the others saw what happened.

"Let's go, guys and Don't ask!" Rouge yelled as she and Hinata ran from Kyuubi while the others followed. Kyuubi a ball of fire after them and Rouge jumped down. She grabbed Knuckles by the hand as she passed him.

"Hi, Prince," Everyone said in unison.

"Are those all your friends ?" Knuckles asked, both amazed and confused.

"Yeah, but it's getting them to shut up that's the trick." Rouge replied.

"Mistress Rouge," Knuckles shouted as they came to a stop in front of a slide.

Rouge cringed in terror as the other's screamed. Rouge and the others jumped on and slid down, until Gary noticed a hole in the middle of the slide. The hole hit him Hard and Gary's eyes crossed. As they landed on the ground, Gary groaned in pain as Dawn helped him take off running. The group ran off through the castle, with Kyuubi in hot pursuit.

They gasped and quickly dodged an energy ball shot at them. Rouge slowed down while the others keep going as she spotted the exit.

"Okay, you eight," Rouge said, "Head for the exit!" Rouge grabbed a sword and said, "I'll deal with the Kyuubi monster." She stabbed the sword into the middle of the chains. Then Rouge shouted, as she ran away in slow-mo, "Run!"

Rouge,Hinata,Ash,Gary,Dawn and Misty ran for the bridge, with Kyuubi still following. He began charging a blast of energy but Takato had stop at the begining of the bridge and talk to Rika quickly, "Sorry Beautiful I got take care of Naruto he'll be hurt that Hinata left him, and got to stop him from blasting everybody, okay take care." He said kissing her on the lips, "I under stand thanks again Tiger." she then ran across the bridge to ketchup with her friends,then he started gather energy he learned for naruto and charging it into his Bo staff and started to spin it making a shield, Kyuubi fired the blast of energy but was blocked by Takato's shield, but it shot upward and then fell downward and destroyed half the bridge. They hung on as the bridge fell and landed close towards the cliff. But unfortunately, Hinata hadn't been able to keep hold onto the bridge and screamed and fell. Rouge caught her just in the nick of time by her leg.

Hinata screamed as she saw upside-down that Kyuubi was coming towards them. He jump across the cliff and the group screamed. Kyuubi roared with rage as he tried to get towards them, but he was jerked back from the sword stuck in the chains. Everyone quickly climbed to safety as Kyuubi let out one last roar...then a sad whimper as he transformed into Naruto with sad expression on his face.

"Sorry Naruto, but you would of hurt them and Hinata if you hit them with that blast." he said scolding him like a parent to a child.

"I know Takato, but all I wanted was Hina-chan." Surprisingly the voice came from Naruto who could talk.

Takato put a hand on his shoulder causing to him to look at him.

"I know now lets get you out of those chains and try and ketchup, okay?" He said.

"Sure." Naruto said, but not before roaring with sorrow in the distants where Hinata was, then walk back to the castle with his friend.

_**A/N:Read and Review!**_


	9. Dealing With Each Other

Knuckles slid down the hill and said, "You did! You rescued me! You're amazin'!" Behind him, Rouge, Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn tumbled down the hill, hit a rock, and landed at the bottom. "You're-you're wonderful," Knuckles continued, "You're..." He turned and saw Rouge stumble down the hill, knocking off the rock, and bumping into May and Dawn. "A little bit on the clumbsy side, I'll admit," Knuckles said, "But, thy deed is done, and thy heart is pure. I'm forever in your debt."

Hinata, Misty, Ash, Dawn, Gary, Rika, cleared their throats. Knuckles knelt down and said, "And just where would a knight be without her nolbe and dutchesses?" He put his arms around the seven.

"I hope you heard that, Rouge," May said, "He called me a noble dutchesses. He thinks I'm a princess."

"And us as your nolbe and dutchesses." Hinata added with a giggle as Rouge rolled her eyes.

"The battle's won," Knuckles said, "You can remove your helmet now, Mistress Rouge."

"Yeah, uh, no." Rouge said.

"Why's that?" asked Knuckles.

"I-" Rouge said, trying to come up with an excuse, "I have helmet fur."

"Come on," Knuckles said, "I would'st like to look at the face of my rescuer."

"Oh, no, you wouldn't," Rouge said, then added, "-'st."

"But how are ya goin' to kiss me with that helmet on?" Knuckles asked.

"WHAT?" Rouge asked in surprise. She bumped into a rock and turned to Rika. "I don't remember that in the job description." she said.

Rika thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it's a perk."

"Yeah, Gary and I kiss each other sometimes." Dawn said.

"The same with me and Ash." Misty added.

"That's true." both boys agreed.

"No, no, no," Knuckles said, "It's destiny. You guys gotta know how it goes...Even if, in this case anyway, it's the other way around. A prince locked in a tower and guarded by an Fox monster is rescued by a brave knight or female warrior, and then they share true love's first kiss."

"Hmm? With Rouge?" Ash asked. Then he started snickering and said, "You think-wait a second here. You think that Rouge is your true love?"

"Well, yeah," Knuckles said, "Why wouldn't I?"

Ash, Misty, Dawn, Hinata, Gary, Rouge and Rika stared at each other for a few seconds and then bursted out laughing.

"You think Rouge is your true love!" Ash said as he, the others, and Rouge continued laughing.

"Just what's so funny?" Knuckles asked with a frown.

"Let's just say that I'm not really your type and leave it at that, okay?" Rouge asked.

"Of course you're my type," Knuckles said, "You're my rescuer. Now remove your helmet."

"Look," Rouge said, "This isn't a good idea."

"Will you just take the helmet off?"

"I'm not going to."

"Take it off."

"No!"

"NOW!"

"Okay, take it easy," Rouge said, "As you command, your Majesty."

Rouge removed her helmet, revealing herself to him. Knuckles's face went from impatient to shocked. Rouge smiled shyly and said, "Ta-da?"

"You're-you're a Treasure Hunteress." Joey said.

"Let me take a wild guess: You were expecting a beautiful princess, right?" asked Rouge.

"Well, yeah, actually," Knuckles said, but he sighed and said, "Oh no, this is all wrong. You ain't supposed to be a Treasure Hunteress!"

"Prince," Rouge said, "I was sent to rescue you by Princess Cassidy, okay? She's the one who wants to marry you, not me."

"Then why didn't she come rescue me?" Knuckles asked.

"Good question, you should ask her that when we get there." said Rouge.

"But I gotta be rescued by my true love," Knuckles said, "Not by some Treasure Hunteress, her friends!"

"Well, so much for noble princess." Hinata said.

"Look, prince, you're not making my job any easier," Rouge said.

"Sorry," Knuckles said, "But your job ain't my problem. You can tell this Princess Cassidy that if she wants to rescue me, the right way, I'll be waiting right here for her." Knuckles sat down on a nearby rock.

"Look, buddy," Rouge said, "I am not a messenger girl, alright?" Then she added, ominously, "I'm a delivery girl."

"Don't even think about it!" Knuckles growled, but Rouge thought about it. She picked him up and put him over her shoulder and carried him away with amazing strength. He screamed and said, "Put me down, ya Witch!"

"You guys coming?" Rouge asked the group.

"We're right behind you, Rouge." Dawn said.

"Put me down," Knuckles said, "Or you'll suffer the consequences! This is not dignified! Put me down, right now!" He screamed and tried to get free from Rouge's grip.

Hinata looked back as she was the only one who hear Naruto's sad cry.

Naru-kun. She thought sadly

A while later, Knuckles was still on Rouge's shoulder and he was listening to the group's many questions.

"Okay," Hinata said when it was her turn to ask, "Let's say there's a guy who loves you, right, but you don't feel the same way about him. How do you let him down easy so you don't hurt his feelings, but you're not ripped apart and eaten?"

"Just tell him he's not your true love," Knuckles explained, "Everyone knows what happens when you find your-" But he was interrupted by Rouge, who shook him. "Hey," he snapped, "The sooner we get to Cassloc, the better."

"Oh yeah," Ash said, "You're gonna love it there, Prince. It's beautiful!"

"And what about my bride-to-be, Princess Cassidy?" Knuckles asked, "What's she like?"

"Well, let me put it to you this way, Prince," Rouge said as she dumped Knuckles unceremoniously near a lake as she went to wash off. "Women of Cassidy's stature are still in the golden age." Rouge then laughed.

"Oh, I don't know, Rouge," Gary said, deciding to join in with the fun, "There are many people who think meeting her is a golden oppertunity." After Rouge washed her face, she and Gary continued laughing.

"She got the title role in 'Goldie Locks: The Musical'." Rika added, joining in as well.

That caused them to laugh even harder, much to Knuckles's disgust.

"Will you hyenas knock it off?" Knuckles asked. "You're all just jealous that you'll never measure up to a great ruler like Princess Cassidy."

"You're right, Prince," Ash said, "But we'll let you do the 'measuring' when you see her tomorrow." He said useing air quotes. He then realized something and said, "No wait. That joke dosen't work."

Knuckles suddenly became alarmed.

"Tomorrow?" He asked. Knuckles turned around and noticed the sun was setting. He turned back and asked, "It'll take that long? Uh, shouldn't we stop to make camp?"

"No," Rouge said, "That will take longer. We can keep going."

"But there's-there's robbers in the woods." Knuckles said.

"Time out there, Rouge," Hinata said, "Camp is starting to sound like a good idea right now."

"Hinata, relax." Misty reasured, "We delt with a trio of Pokemon theives in the past. They weren't very successful."

"And besides," Rouge added, "I'm scarier then anything we'll come across in these woods."

Rouge was about to continue on, until Knuckles got in her way and shouted, "I need somewhere to camp NOW!"

Rouge stared at him in shock for a moment.

"I think someone beat you to that title, Rouge." Gary said.

Moments later, Rouge rolled aside a boulder and found a cave.

"Hey, over here!" Rouge shouted.

"Rouge, we can do better than that!" Hinata said.

"Yeah, I don't think this is fit for a prince." Misty agreed.

Knuckles gasped when he saw the sun setting further. He turned and said, "No, no, it's perfect. It just needs a few homey touches."

"Homey touches?" asked Rouge, "Like what?"

The group heard a tearing noise and turned. Knuckles had ripped the bark off a tree.

"A door," he said. He then said, as he went into the cave and put the bark door behind him, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, I bid thee good night."

"Do you want me to come in and read you a bed time story?" Gary asked, "Because I will."

"I said good night!" Joey shouted.

Rouge looked at the group for a moment, the she grabbed the boulder as if she were going to block the cave's entrance.

"Rouge, what are you doing?" Misty asked.

Rouge laughed and said, "I just-you know-oh, come on! I was only kidding."

That night, Rouge, Misty, Dawn, Hinata, Ash, Gary, and Rika were resting near a fire and staring up at the stars, as Rouge was pointing them out.

"And that one," Rouge said, "That's Sonic The Hedgehog the only Mobian to rival Shadow The Hedgehog and the first to burn through three wheat fields in three seconds."

"Cool." Ash said.

"Yeah," Dawn said, "Hey, can you tell my future from these stars?"

"The stars don't tell the future, Dawn," Rouge said, "They tell stories. Look, there's E-123 Omega. You can guess what he's famous for."

"I know you're making this one up." Gary said.

"No, look. There he is, and there's the group of Eggman's robots running from his destructive rampage." She pointed to some of the stars.

"There's nothing up there but a bunch of dots!" Gary said, with no imagination about the stars.

"You know, Gary, sometimes things are more than what they appear. Hmm? Forget it."

As they stared up at the stars, Hinata stretched and asked, "Hey, Rouge, what are we going to do when we get our forest back?"

"Our forest?" Rouge asked.

"Yeah, you know, when we're done rescuing the prince and all." Rika added.

"We?" Rouge asked. "Rika, guys, there's no we. There's no our. It's just me and my forest. And when I get back the first thing I'm gonna do is build a ten-no, no, no-a thirty foot wall around my land." Then Rouge turned over.

"You cut us deep, Rouge," Ash said, "You cut us real deep just now."

"You know what I think? I think this whole wall thing is just a way to keep somebody out." Misty said as she and the others got up and walked over to see Rouge's face.

"No," Rouge sarcastically said, "You think so?"

She turned over and pretended to sleep.

"Are you hiding something?" Hinata asked.

"Never mind, Hinata." Rouge said as she turned over onto her back.

"Oh," Rika said, "This is another one of those onion things, right?"

"No, RIka," Rouge said angrily, "This is one of those drop-it and leave-it-alone things."

"Why don't you want to talk about it?" Ash asked.

"Why do you want to talk about it?" Rouge said warningly.

"Why are you blocking?" Ash asked.

"I'm not blocking!" Rouge yelled.

"Oh yes you are!" Gary said.

"Guys, I'm warning you." Rouge said firmly.

"Who are you trying to keep out anyway, Rouge? Who?" Dawn asked.

"EVERYONE! HAPPY NOW?" Rouge snapped.

"Oh, now we're getting somewhere." Rika said.

Unknown to the group, the door to Knuckles's cave was open and Knuckles peeked out.

"Oh, for the love of pete!" Rouge shouted. She got up, walked over to the edge of the cliff, and sat down.

"What's you're problem, Rouge? What do you got against the world anyway?" Ash asked.

"Look, I'm not the one with the problem, okay? It's the world that has the problem with me! People just take one look at me and yell, 'AHHH! Help! Run! It's a big, stupid, ugly Treasure Hunteress!'" Rouge calmed down and said, "They judge me before they even get to know me. That's why I'm better off alone."

In the shadows of the cave, Knuckles stared sympathetically at Knuckles. "I was a big jerk today. Even if she is a Treasure Hunteress, she still rescued me. I'll make it up to her tomorrow." Knuckles thought to himself as he shut the door of his cave and went to sleep.

"You know what?" Ash asked, "When we met, we didn't think you were a big, stupid, ugly Treasure Hunteress."

"Yeah," Rouge said, "I know."

The group sat on opposite sides of Rouge, giving her a companion for each side.

"So, uh, are there any Digimon up there?" Rika asked.

"Well, there's Devimon, the small and annoying."

"Okay, okay, I see it. The big shiny one, right there. That one?" Misty asked.

"That's the moon."

"Oh."

Back in Cassidy's bedroom, she's surrounded by wedding stuff. She watched as Chaos showed her Prince Knuckles looking out his window of the castle again and again, while she lay in her bed.

"Again, show me again." Cassidy said, "water boy, water boy, show him to me. Show me the prince."

Chaos sighed as she rolled her eyes and rewound the whole thing to start again. "If it wasn't for the fact she said she'd make me into her next bath, I would've stopped hours ago." Chaos thought to herself.

"Ah," Cassidy said, as she took a sip of her champagine, "Perfect."

She quickly covered her chest, as if Knuckles could she her, as she gazed at his image.

**A/N: Like It, Love It, tell me about it, SORRY, about the long wait school is a problem!**


	10. Sakura Haruno

The next morning, Knuckles came out of the cave and watched the sun rise. Then he turned and smiled happily when he saw Rouge,Rika,Hinata, Ash, Misty,Gary,and Dawn were still fast asleep. He wandered off into the woods and spun around. He began to sing. A blue jay woke up, shook of the morning dew, and sang with him.

Knuckles sang higher and higher, until he let out a high-pitched scream from his mouth. The blue jay tried to hold that note, but the pressure was too much. Soon, there was an explosion of feathers and Joey saw the bird (still alive) passed out on the branch.

"Uh, oops." he said.

He looked down and noticed three eggs. A moment later, Knuckles was cooking the eggs, sunny side-up. The group was still asleep until Rouge smelled the air and yawned as she woke up. She spotted Knuckles frying the eggs. The group was still asleep and muttering something in their sleep.

"Mm, yeah," Hinata said, "You know I like it like that."

"Misty, come on," Ash said, "Brock and I need all of you to stop Team Rocket."

"In the name of Digital World, I shall stop you," Rika said as she tossed and turned.

"Oh Dawn, I'm always with you." Gary smiled as he said this, "What about Misty? Oh no. She's with Ash."

Rouge shook the six awake and said, "Guys, wake up."

"Huh? What?" Hinata asked, wakeing up a little.

"Huh?" Ash asked, waking up.

"Wake up." Rouge said.

The group stretched and yawned.

"What's going on?" Dawn asked.

"'Mornin' guys," Knuckles said, "How do ya like your eggs?"

"Oh, good morning, Prince!" Rika said.

Rouge looked a little confused.

"What's all this about?" Rouge asked.

"Well," Knuckles said, "We got off on the wrong foot yesterday and I wanted to make it up to ya. I mean, Mobian or not, you did rescue me."

"Uh, thanks." Rouge said.

Ash sniffed the eggs and licked his lips.

"Well, chow down," Knuckles said, "We got a big day ahead of us."

Knuckles walked off, leaving Rouge, Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn to glace at each other in confusion. Later, the group was walking in the woods. Rouge then let out a belch.

"ROUGE!" Rika,Hinata, Misty, and Dawn yelled in disgust.

"Surely you must have some manners." Misty scolded.

"What?" Rouge asked, then said, "It's a compliment. Better out then in, I always say."

"That's still no way to act in front of a prince." Rika said.

Just then, Knuckles let out a belch that rivaled Rouge's. The seven stared at him in surprise.

"Thanks." Knuckles said as he continued walking off.

"He's just as disgusting as you are." Gary said to Rouge.

Rouge chuckled a little and said, "You know, you're not exactly what I expected."

"Well," Knuckles said, using Rouge's exact words from last night, "Maybe you shouldn't judge people before ya get to know them."

Rouge was stunned. Did Knuckles overhear them last night? As she continues to ponder this, Knuckles walked away farther, humming to himself. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a girl swooped down, grabbing Knuckles.

"Flaming Youth! Hey!" the girl shouted.

"Prince!" Rouge shouted in alarm.

The group looked up towards a tree and saw where Joey was. The girl that grabbed him was 16-years-old with Green eyes and short pink hair. She wore a short red shirt, a pair of black biker shorts, a red hair clip, and black sandels. Her name is Sakura Haruno (Naruto). Right now, she was fondling him.

"Hey," Knuckles snapped, "What the heck are you doin'?"

"Be still, my prince-kun," Sakura said, "For I am your youthful savior! And I'm rescuing you from this dreaded..." Sakura carpeted Knuckles's arm with kisses and said, "Beast."

Knuckles snatched his arm away in disgust as Rouge ran over.

"Hey, ninja lady," Rouge snapped, "That's my prince! Go get your own!"

"Please, Thief," Sakura said, "Can't you see I'm busy here?"

Knuckles got free of Knuckles's grasp and said, clearly ticked-off, "Look, lady, I don't know who you think you are!"

"Oh, of course," Sakura said, "Oh, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself." Sakura then turned and shouted, "Oh, guys!" She then laughed.

At that moment, another girl named Ty Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender) hopped out playing an accoridian. Then out popped Ino Yamanaka, Shizune, Tenten, and Hana Inuzuka (Naruto). Then another annoying song started up.

Sakura's Gang: Ta, da, da, da, da, da, whoo

Sakura: I steal from the rich and give to the needy

.

Ino: She takes a small perecentage

Sakura: But I'm not greedy,

I rescue hunky men, man, I'm good

Sakura's Gang: What a gal!

Sakura: Ha-ha

Sakura's Gang: Sakura Haruno

Sakura: Break it down

The six began river dancing.

Sakura: I like an honest fight and a saucy little man

Sakura's Gang: What she's basically saying

Is she likes to get...

Sakura: Paid. So, when a Thief in the bush

Grabs a guy by the tush,

That's bad.

Sakura's Gang: That's bad, that's bad,

That's bad, that's bad

Rouge and the group start backing away as the girls get closer.

Sakura: When a beauty's with a beast,

It make's me awfully mad

Sakura's Gang: She's mad,

She's really, really mad

Knuckles gets a little concerned as he saw this.

Sakura: Now I'll take my Tanto and ram it through your heart,

Keep your eyes on me, girls,

'Cause I'm about to start

Before Sakura could attack, a red blur swings down and knocks her out cold. Knuckles lets out a battle cry and swings onto the ground. The group stared at him in surprise while Rouge stared at him in admiration.

"I don't know about you guys, but that was so annoying!" Knuckles said.

"Why you little..." Shizune said as she pulls out a bow and arrow.

She releases the arrow and Knuckles moves out of the way. Misty and Rika scream and jump away. Rouge and Ash catch them, with Rouge catching Rika and Ash catching Misty, and move out of the way as the arrows continue to go off. Knuckles punches furiously at Hana and elbows Ino in the stomach. Shizune and Tenten prepare to attack him as Knuckles jumps into the air. There's a freeze frame and Knuckles does a scissor kick.

Ty Lee chases after him and Knuckles runs up a tree, ending up behind her. Ty Lee tries to give one of her paralyzing punches, but Knuckles knocks her out before she could. Shizune runs torwards him, but Knuckles stops her by doing a spin kick. Finally, everyone is out cold and Knuckles walked over to Rouge who was still holding Rika and Ash who was still holding Misty.

"Shall we?" Knuckles asked.

"Hold the phone," Rouge said. She dropped Rika and walked after Knuckles. "Oh," Rouge said, trying to catch up with him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on a minute. Where did that come from?"

"What?" Knuckles asked.

"That," Rouge said, pointing back to the clearing where Sakura and her gang were still out cold, "Back there. That was amazing! Where did you learn that?"

"Well," Knuckles said with a laugh, "When one lives alone, um, one has to learn these things in case there's a..." But he stopped short, gasped, and shouted, as he pointed to Rouge's rear end, "THERE'S AN ARROW IN YOUR BUTT!"

"Huh?" Rouge asked. She looked behind her and said, "Oh, would you look at that?"

"Oh man, oh man, oh man," Knuckles said, "This is all my fault! I'm so sorry!"

Rouge tried to pull the arrow out, winced every time.

Hinata walked up and asked, "Why? What happened?"

"What's going on?" Dawn asked as the others joined them.

"Rouge's hurt." Knuckles said.

Hinata and Dawn became surprised and sceamed loudly, "Rouge's hurt. Rouge's hurt? Oh no, Rouge's gonna die!"

"Here we go again." Gary mumbled to Ash.

"Guys," Rouge said, "I'm okay."

"You can't do this to us, Rouge," Hinata said, "We're to young for you to die!"

"Keep your legs elevated. Turn your head and cough. Does anybody know the heimlich?" Dawn cried.

"Guys," Knuckles said, "Calm down. If you really want to help Rouge, go into the woods and find me a green flower with blue thorns."

"Green flower," Hinata said, "red thorns. Okay, we're on it!" began to run off until he was stopped by Gary.

"Who's 'we'? I'm not looking for a flower that doesn't exist. Besides, even if it did exist, with you being colorblind, we'd be looking for days!" Gary said.

"Guys!" Knuckles and Rouge shouted angrily.

"Oh yeah. Right," Hinata said. Then she and Dawn ran off, with the others following , saying, "Green flower, red thorns."

After they were gone, Rouge asked Knuckles, "What are the flowers for?"

"Getting rid of them." Knuckles said happily.

"Hmm. Why didn't I think of that?" Rouge wondered.

"Now hold still, and I'll yank this thing out." Knuckles said. He gave the arrow a little pull and Rouge yelped as she jumped away.

"OW!" Rouge said, "Easy with the yanking!"

"We'll, sorry," Knuckles said, "But this thing has to come out."

Knuckles kept going after the arrow, but Rouge kept dodging his hands.

"No, it's tender," Rouge said.

"Now, hold still," Knuckles said.

"What you're doing is the exact opposite of helping." Rouge said

"Stop movin'!" Knuckles said.

"Look, time out." Rouge said, stopping him.

"Would you just..." Knuckles said angrily. He then sighed and said, "Okay, then. What do you propose we do? Hmmm?"

Meanwhile, Rika,Hinata, Ash, Misty,Gary,and Dawn were trying to find the green flower with red thorns, even though there were some around them on bushes where Dawn and Hinata were looking.

"Find anything, guys?" Dawn asked.

"Well this would be so much easier if I wasn't color blind!" Hinata yelled.

"Why is it that I feel we're being sent on a "Snipe Hunt"?" Gary asked the others who shrugged.

In the distance, Rouge screamed, "YEOW!"

"She really is dying!" Rika, Dawn, Ash, Misty,and Gary shouted.

"Hang on, Rouge," Hinata yelled, "We're coming!"

She ripped a flower off the nearby bush, which happened to be the right flower, and hurried back to the clearing where she met up with the others.

Rouge was lying down on her stomach while Knuckles tried to yank the arrow out.

"Ow!" Rouge shouted again. "Not good."

"Okay," Knuckles said as he continued yanking, "Okay. I can nearly see the head. It's just about..."

"OW!" Rouge said as she turned over and accidently knocked over Knuckles. The two then found themselves in an awkward position: Knuckles was on top of Rouge. They stared at each other until Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn arrived and cleared their throats. Hinata dropped the flower and smirked with the others.

"Nothing happened." Rouge said, pushing Knuckles off her, "We were just, uh-"

"Look," Gary said, still smirking, "If you two wanted to be alone, all you had to do was ask."

"Yeah," Dawn agreed, "We would've understood."

"You didn't have to make something up to get us to go." Misty said as his partner and Ash nodded.

"Now listen here," Rouge said, "That's the last thing on my mind! The prince here was just-" Knuckles pulled the arrow out and Mai said, "Ugh!" as her eyes widened in pain to the size of baseballs. She turned around and saw Knuckles smiling gleefully as he waved the arrow. "Ow," Rouge said in a whisper of pain.

"Hey, uh, Hinata? Dawn? What-what's that?" Misty asked as she laughed nervously.

"That's...is that blood?" Hinata asked.

"Because we don't do so well with-" Dawn began to say before she, Hinata and Misty fainted. Rouge walked over to Hinata and picked her up, while Ash picked up Misty, and Gary picked up Dawn as she, Knuckles, Ash, and Gary continued to walk away.

**PD: Sorry about the long wait I promise to have this story Finished by the end of Summer!**


	11. Hidden Feelings

As Rouge, Knuckles ,Rika ,Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn continued on their way to Cassloc, Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn noted the looks Rouge and Knuckles are giving each other.

_**My beloved monster and me**_

_**We go everywhere together**_

Rouge climbs up a tree and makes it bend over a small brook so Knuckles wouldn't get wet. Knuckles smiled at her, making Rouge smile back.

_**Wearing a raincoat that has four sleeves,**_

_**Gets us through all kinds of weather**_

Once Knuckles crossed, Rouge, lost in his eyes, got up; ignoring the fact that Hinata was almost across. After the tree flung back upright, Hinata screamed as she was flung back to the ground and landed on Dawn.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Misty and Rika both asked.

"Never better." Hinata said in a daze.

Soon the gang raced to catch up to the prince and the Thief.

_**She will always be the only thing,**_

_**That comes between me and the awful sting**_

A bit later, Rouge growls in annoyance as she swatts away a bunch of flies, gnats and mosquitoes that are bugging her. Seeing this, Knuckles broke off a branch containing a spider web and ran around catching the flying pests. Moments later, there was none left and Knuckles wraps up the web, like cotton candy. He gives it to Rouge, who took it happily and ate it, as they continued on. As they walked away, Knuckles licked his fingers.

_**That comes from living in a world**_

_**That's so dang mean**_

Rouge caught a toad and blew it up like a balloon as she gave it to Knuckles. Knuckles caught a snake and blew it up like a balloon as well, only he put it in the shape of a dog. The two walked together happily.

_**La-la-la-la-la-la**_

With a smirk, they playfully shoved each other, until Rouge pushed too hard.

"Hey," Knuckles said.

_**La la-la-la-la la**_

Rouge shoved Knuckles really hard, making him let go of his balloon and Rouge to let go of her balloon as Knuckles chased after her. The group followed, trying to catch up to them. The two balloon animals floated up into the sky.

Moments later, the group arrived at a windmill, close to Cassloc.

"There it is, Prince," Rouge said, pointing to Cassloc in the distance, "Your future awaits you."

Even now, Rouge could've sworn she felt her heart break at the sight of the town.

"That's Cassloc, huh?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah, I know," Dawn said, "You know, Rouge thinks Princess Cassidy is compensating for something, which I think means she has a really..." Rouge then bonked Dawn on the head. "OW!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Um, I, uh-" Rouge said, "I guess we better get going."

Knuckles got a little concerned. He didn't want to leave Rouge...Not yet. Then he got an idea.

"Sure," Knuckles said, "But, Rouge? I'm-I'm worried about Dawn and Hinata!"

"What?" Rouge asked in confusion.

"I mean," Knuckles said, "Look at 'em. They don't look to good."

"What are you talking about?" Dawn asked. "We're fine."

"Yeah." Hinata added.

Knuckles looked them in the eyes and said, "That's what they all say, and then the next thing you know, you're on ya back." The two just stared at him and Knuckles added, "You know...Dead."

"Here we go, yet again." Gary said as the others nodded.

Rouge saw where Knuckles was going with this. Why head back to Cassloc so soon?

"You know, he's right," Rouge said, playing along, "You two look awful. Do you want to sit down?"

"I'll make you some tea." Knuckles said.

"Well, I didn't want to say anything," Hinata said, "But I got this twinge in my neck, and when I turn my head like this, look." Hinata turned her head in a very sharp way, making her head look sideways. "Ow," Hinata said, "See?"

"Too much info, buddy." Gary said.

"Who's hungry?" Rouge asked. "I'll find us dinner."

"I'll get the firewood." Knuckles said as Rouge left.

Then Rouge was gone as well.

"Hey," Hinata said, "Where are you going?" She then got her head in the right way and said, "Oh, man, I can't see!" She looked at her hands and said, "But I can see my hand?" Then she added, mourfully, "I think I need a hug."

Misty, Rika and Dawn hugged the sorrowful Hyuga.

Moments later, Rouge had belt a fire and was cooking something on a spit while Knuckles ate his dinner happily.

"Man, this is good," Knuckles said as he ate his dinner, "This is really good. What is this?"

"Weed rat," Rouge said, as she took the stick away from the fire, "Rotisserie style."

"No kiddin'," Knuckles said, "Well, anyhow, this is delicious."

"If you like it that much, you'll also find they're great in stews." Knuckles said, "Now, I don't like to brag much, but I make a mean weed rat stew."

Knuckles laughed, but then he turned to Cassloc and sighed, not noticing the others were sipping some water from a canteen.

"Guess I'll be eating differently tomorrow night," he said.

"Well, maybe, you could come visit me in the forest sometime," Rouge suggested, "I'll make all kinds off stuff for you. Swamp toad soup, fisheye tartar, you name it, you got it."

"I'd like that." Knuckles said with a smile.

Rouge slurped up a rat tail and laughed nervously. She and Knuckles both smiled at the other.

_**See the pyramids around the Nile**_

"Um, Prince?" Rouge asked.

_**Watch the sun rise**_

_**From the tropic isle**_

"Yeah, Rouge?" Knuckles asked.

"Well, I, um," Rouge began, "I was just wondering..."

_**Just remember darling**_

_**All the while**_

"Are you..." Rouge said. Rouge had recently develop feelings for Knuckles, but whenever she tries to explain it, she'd always chicken out at the last minute.

_**You belong to me**_

Rouge sighed as she said, "Are you going to finish that?"

Then she turned away from Knuckles and silently berated herself. "I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" Rouge thought, "I get one shot, and what do I ask? "Are you going to finish that?" Knuckles didn't notice the frown on Rouge's face, as he slid his roasted weed rat off his stick and held it in his hand. They hold hands with it and they come closer and closer until it looks like they're about to kiss...

Until Rika and Hinata popped up from out of nowhere, grinning from ear to ear.

"Awww," Rika said, "Isn't this just so romantic?"

"I'll say!" Misty agreed. As she was cuddle up next to Ash and with them were Gary and Dawn sitting by the dead log where Ash and Misty was. Hinata then added as she then turned around to look at the setting sun, "And would you just look at that beautiful sunset?"

Knuckles's eyes then widened in alarm and he and Rouge turned around to face the sunset.

"SUNSET? OH NO!" Knuckles yelled in alarm. He jumped up and said, "Oh no, not now! I mean, it's late. I-It's verry verry late."

"Huh?" Rouge said in confusion as she followed Knuckles towards the windmill.

"Wait just a minute!" Misty said, suspiciously.

"Yeah," Dawn agreed, "We see what's going on here."

Knuckles stared at the group, horrified, thinking he had been found out.

Gary smirked and said, "You're afraid of the dark, aren't you?"

Knuckles sighs in relief, knowing danger has passed, and says, "Yeah, yeah that's it. I'm absolutely terrified. You know, I'd better go inside." He then turned and walked towards the windmill.

"Don't feel bad, Prince," Hinata said, "I used to be afraid of the dark, too. But that all changed wh-" But Hinata stopped and remembered something. "Wait," she said, "I'm still afraid of the dark."

Rouge rolled her eyes and sighed. Knuckles reached the door and turned around.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night," she said back.

Before Knuckles entered, he turned and smiled at Rouge and shut the door behind him. Rika and Hinata smirked.

"Oh," Hinata said, "Now we really see what's going on here."

Rouge's smile faded and she asked, "Oh, what are you guys talking about?"

"We don't wanna hear it," Hinata said as she followed Rouge over to the fire, "Look, me and girl are woman we've got instincts."

"Yeah," Dawn added, "And we've seen this happen before."

"And we know that you two like one another." Hinata said, "I could feel it."

"The six of you are losing it," Rouge said, "I'm just bringing him back to Cassidy."

"Yeah right." Gary and Ash said in sarcasim.

"Come on, Rouge," Rika said, "Just go inside and tell him how you feel."

"I," Rouge said, "There's nothing to tell. Besides, even if I did tell him that I, well, you know-and I'm not saying that I do, because I don't-he's a prince and I'm-"

"A Thief?" Misty finished for her.

Rouge threw a stick into the fire and said, "Yeah. A Thief."

Rouge then got up and walked away.

"Hey, where you going?" Ash asked.

"To get...more firewood." Rouge said with a sigh.

The group looks a bit concerned. Gary turns and notices a pile of firewood that hasn't been used yet. They realized that Rouge just wanted to be alone. As Rouge approaches a sunflower field that overlooks Cassloc, she rubs the back of her neck and sits down, staring at the castle in the distance. She doesn't even leave as it gets dark.


	12. Knuckles' Curse

A moment later, it had gotten dark and Rouge still hadn't come back. The group decided to go in and check on Knuckles to see if he was okay...Well, Gary was forced to come along by Dawn.

"Prince?" Hinata called out, "Prince Knuckles?"

They looked around and could see no sign of Knuckles anywhere. They walked further into the mill as Hinata called out again, "Prince, where are you?" The group heard a noise and saw a bunch of bats fly away. They walked down further as Hinata called out once again, "Prince?"

"It's just us, Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn." Misty called out.

Something was in there. A white, leather glove grabbed the side of a ladder and climbed up. Misty and Dawn jumped as they heard the ladder creak.

"It's really spooky in here," Hinata said as she and the group continued to search for him, "We're not playing any games."

A figure watched the group from the shadows and tried to sneak away. Suddenly, a beam broke and the figure screamed as he fell. The group turned around and jumped out of their skin as they saw the figure fall. They gasped as they saw the figure stand up. Instantly, the group began freaking out.

"AHHH!"

"No, no," the figure shouted in a voice that sounded somewhat familiar to them.

"Oh, no," Hinata screamed as she backed away, "HELP!"

The figure started to come out of the shadows, trying to shush the group.

"Shh! Quiet!" the figure said.

"Rouge! Rouge!" Dawn shouted.

The group could see the figure clearly now. It was a red echidna with a moon and star crest on it chest. The only things that were strangely familiar to them was his red dreadlock hair and his purple/violet eyes.

"No, guys, it's okay," the echidna said, "It's okay!"

"What have you done with the prince?" Ash shouted/asked.

"It's me." the echidna said, "In this body."

"Oh my gosh," Misty shouted, "You've eaten the prince!"

Then Hinata shouted into the boy's middle, "Can you hear us, Prince Knuckles?"

The boy, who was, in fact, Knuckles, slapped his forehead and glared at the Hyuga.

"Hinata," he said.

"Listen, keep breathing," Hinata shouted.

"No," Knuckles said.

"We'll get you out of there!" Dawn said.

Rika and Gary then turned to the door and shouted, "Rouge! Rouge!" But then their voices and the other's became muffled as Knuckles covered their mouths, trying to calm them down and shut them up at the same time.

"Shh," Knuckles said.

"ROUGE!" Misty shouted, her voice still muffled.

"This is me." Knuckles whispered.

The group looked puzzled for a moment until they looked into the echidna's eyes. They noticed that there was something familiar about them. Then they realized who was standing in front of them. The group quieted down and Knuckles uncovered their mouths.

"Prince?" Rika asked.

"What happened to you?" Gary asked, "You look, uh, uh, uh,..."

"Different." Dawn finished for him.

"I'm ugly, alright?" Knuckles said as he turned and walked away from them.

"Was it something you ate?" Misty asked.

"You know, I told Mai those rats where a bad idea." Gary said, "You are what you eat, I said. Now-"

"No," Knuckles said as he turned around to face the group, "I-I've always been this way for as long as I can remember."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," Ash agreed, "We've never seen you this way before."

"It only happens when the sun goes down." Knuckles said as he turned away from them. He then stared at his reflection in a barrel and said, "By night one way, by day another. This shall be the norm. Until you find true love's first kiss...And then take love's true form."

"Ah, that's beautiful," Dawn said, wiping a tear from her eye, "I had no idea you wrote poetry."

"It's a spell," Knuckles corrected her, turning around again. He sighed and said, "When I was just a little a demon named Naraku cast a spell on me. Every night, I become this." He then splashed the water, dashing his reflection to bits, as he said, "This-This-THIS UGLY BEAST OF A ECHIDNA!" Knuckles walked over to the group and said, "I was placed in a tower to await the day my true love would rescue me. That's why I have to marry Princess Cassidy tomorrow before the sun sets and she sees me like this."

Knuckles sat down on a bench, tears threatining to escape.

"Alright, alright," Ash said, "Calm down. It's not that bad. You're not that ugly. Well, I wont lie, you are ugly."

"Ash!" Misty scolded.

"Sorry."

"But you're only like this at night." Rika added, "Rouge's like this 24/7."

"But, guys," Knuckles said, "I'm a prince. Is this how a prince is supposed to look?"

He then covered his eyes and let himself cry.

"Prince," Dawn said, "How about you don't marry Princess Cassidy?"

"I have to," Knuckles said, "Only my true love's kiss can break the spell."

"Well," Hinata said, "You're kind of a Mobian, and Rouge-Well, you two have a lot in common."

Joey turned and asked, "Rouge?"

At that moment, the female Mobian in question was walking towards the windmill, holding a sunflower in her hand. Right now, she was reciting a speech to herself.

"Prince," Rouge said, "I-Uh, how's it going, first of all? Good? Um, good for me too. I'm alright. I saw this flower and I thought of you because it's pretty and-well, I don't really like it, but I thought you might like it because you're handsome, which is the same as pretty somewhat. But I like you, anyway. I'd-uh, I-uh..." Rouge sighed and said, "I'm in trouble." She approached the door and said, "Okay, here goes nothing."

As she approached the door, she stopped and heard Knuckes talking to the others , not knowing that he's an Mobian Echidna.

"I can't just marry whoever I want," Knuckles was saying, "Take a good look at me, guys. I mean, who would ever love a creature so ugly and looks like they belong in a freak show?" That part really stung Rouge. Knuckles continued, "'Prince' and 'Ugly' just don't go together. That's way I can't stay here with Rouge."

Rouge stepped back in shock, feeling heartbroken and dejected.

"My only chance to live happily ever after is to marry my true love." Knuckles said. Rouge sighed deeply. "Don't you see, guys?" Knuckles continued, "That's the way it's gotta be." Rouge glared at the sunflower and angrily threw it to the ground as she stormed away.

"Ugh! What was I thinking?" Rouge thought to herself, "How could I possibly thought that me and that...Spoiled brat could possibly be together? Well, he'll be out of my hair soon enough!"

Back inside, Knuckles was still talking to the group, unaware that Mai had been listening.

"It's the only way to break the spell." he said.

"Well, you at least gotta tell Rouge the truth," Hinata said, as she hopped down from the bench, getting ready to leave with the others.

"No," Knuckles said, "You can't tell anybody about this!"

"What's the point of being able to talk if you have to keep secrets?" Rika asked.

"Promise me you won't tell," Knuckles said, "Promise!"

"Okay, okay," Misty said, "We won't tell her."

"But you should." Dawn added as she and the others headed for the exit. As they left, Gary said, "When all this is over, I'm gonna need a whole lot of therapy. Look at my eye twitching."

Knuckles poked his head out of the door and watched the group leave. Then, something on the ground caught Knuckles's eye. It was the sunflower from Rouge. Rouge looked around, hoping that it had been from the latter, and an idea came to him.

"If I can't decide," Knuckles said as he stared at the sunflower with a smile, "Maybe this sunflower will help me."

And with that, he picked up the flower and closed the door. The group then approached the fire and went to sleep.


	13. Wedding Crashers

The next day came. The group was still fast asleep. For some reason, Rouge was nowhere to be seen since last night. Inside the mill, Knuckles is still awake and is plucking the petals of the sunflower off one by one.

"I tell her," he said, "I tell her not. I tell her. I tell her not." When he was down to the last petal of the sunflower, he got up, smiled and said, "I tell her." He walked out the door and went outside. "Rouge," he called out, "There's somethin' I want to..." But, Rouge was nowhere to be seen. He turned and saw the sun rise. As it rose, he became normal again. Just as he looked back at the sun, Rouge came up. "Rouge!" Knuckles said with a smile as he came torwads her. He stopped and noticed an angry look on her face. "Rouge? You alright?" Knuckles asked.

Rouge pushed him away and said, "Perfect! Never felt better in my entire life."

"Rouge," Joey said, "There's somethin' I gotta tell you."

Rouge then turned to him and said agrily, "You don't have to tell me anything, Prince. I heard what you said last night!"

"Y-You heard what I said?" Knuckles asked in surprise.

"Every single word," Rouge snapped.

Knuckles stared at her in shock and said, "I thought you'd understand."

"Oh, I DO understand," Rouge said, "Like you said, 'Who could love a creature so ugly and looks like they belong in a freak show?'"

"But, I thought that wouldn't matter to ya." Knuckles said.

"Yeah, well, it does!" Rouge said. Knuckles stared at her in shock, until Rouge looked past him and said, "Ah, right on time. Prince, I've brought you a little something."

Cassidy had arrived with a posse of her Foot Ninjas. She looked very regal on her Rapidash, wearing a suit of armor and helmet, so you couldn't even guess what her face looked like. Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary,and Dawn woke up with a yawn as Cassidy and her men arrived.

"What'd we miss? What'd we miss?" Ash said. But then he saw the ninjas.

Cassidy approached Joey and looked him up and down.

"Prince Knuckles," she said.

"As promised," Rouge said, "Now hand it over."

"Very well, Thief," Cassidy said as she pulled out a piece of parchment, "The deed to your forest, cleared out as agreed. Take it and go before I decide to change my mind." Rouge took the paper, but not before giving a glare to Knuckles. "Forgive me Prince, for startling you." Cassidy said to Knuckles, "But you've started me, for I have never seen such radiant beauty in my life. I am Princess Cassidy."

"Princess Cassidy," Knuckles said. "Oh, no, no, no." Cassidy mounted off her horse as Knuckles said, "Forgive me, my lady, I was saying a short..." But he was cut short when Cassidy removed her helmet, revealing long golden hair...And if he didn't know any better, Knuckles would've thought is was made of gold. "Uh...Farewell," he trailed off.

"Oh, that's so sweet," Cassidy said, "You don't have to waste good manners on the Thief, though. It's not like it has feelings."

Rouge cringed at the insult.

"You're right," Knuckles said as his face hardened, "It dosen't have any."

Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn watched this and exchanged curious looks. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Prince Knuckles," Cassidy said as she got down on one knee, "Handsome, fair, flawless Knuckles. I ask for your hand in marriage. Will you be the perfect groom for the perfect bride?"

Knuckles looked at Rouge, but Rouge turned her back to him.

Knuckles frowned and said, "Princess Cassidy, I accept. Nothing would make me-"

"Great!" Cassidy said, interrupting him, "I'll start on the plans. For tomorrow, we shall be wed!"

"NO!" Knuckles shouted. Rouge turned around, a hopeful look on her face, but Knuckles added, "Uh, I mean...Why wait? Let's get married today, before the sun sets." Rouge's smile faded and she walked off in anger.

"Hmm. The anxious type, are we? I like that." Cassidy said. "You're right. The sooner, the better. There's so much need to be done!" Cassidy re-mounted on her horse and Knuckles hopped on. Cassidy counted off her fingers as she said, "There's the caterer, the cake, the band, the guest list. Dr. Drakken, round up some guest!"

As the horse rode off, Knuckles stared at Rouge and said, Fare-thee-way, Thief."

Cassidy left with Joey as Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn watched them go. This was diffinitely not supposed to happen!

"Rouge, what are you doing?" Rika asked, following Rouge.

"Yeah, you're letting him get away." Hinata said.

"Yeah? Point being?" Rouge asked angrily.

"Rouge," Gary said, "There's something you don't know about him."

"Yeah," Misty said, "You see, we spoke with him last night. He's-"

"I know you guys talked to him last night!" Rouge said, interrupting Misty. "You're great pals, aren't you? If you nine are such good friends with him, why don't you follow him home?"

"But, Rouge," Ash said, "We want to go with you."

"UGH! I already told you!" Rouge angrily said, "None of you are coming home with me. I live alone! My forest! Me! Nobody else! You got that? Nobody! Especially useless, pathetic, annoying kids!"

The group was really hurt at that part.

"But, we thought," Dawn began.

"Yeah, well, you know what?" Rouge asked agrily as she walked off. "You all thought wrong!"

And then she left.

"Rouge," Rika said.

Misty and Dawn lowered their heads and cried as Ash and Gary comforted them. Rika and Hinata just lowered their heads. The group then walked off.

Rouge arrived at her home and saw that it had been cleared out as agreed.

_**I've heard there was a secret chord**_

_**That David played, and it pleased the Lord**_

_**But you don't really care for music, do you?**_

Rouge sighs sadly as she walks toward her home. Rouge steps on a broken mirror and stops as she sees her reflection. She sadly sighs.

_**It goes like this the fourth, the fifth**_

_**The minor fall the major lift**_

_**The baffled king composing hallelujah**_

Knuckles stared at his reflection in the glass of a chandelier and sadly turned away. Knuckles sighed, sadly, wondering if this is really what he wants.

_**Hallelujah, Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah, Hallelujah**_

Rouge is in her house that's mostly empty. She sees a sunflower in a jar. She gives a smile at first, but then frowns and throws it into the fire.

As it had reminded her of what happes when she trys open her heart to other...sadness, anger, and hurt

_**Maybe I've been here before**_

_**I know this room, I've walked this floor**_

_**I used to live alone before I knew you**_

Meanwhile, it fades to the fire in Cassidy's castle where Knuckles looks at himself in the mirror and fixes his tie.

_**I've seen your flag on the marble arch**_

_**But love is not a victory march**_

_**It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah**_

In another room, Cassidy is staring into a mirror being held up by Cosmo, who was moping. Cassidy turns to Harley Quinn, who gives her a thumbs-up. Cassidy turns back to Choas, who plastered a fake smile on his face and nods, trying to look like she's agreeing with the crown and the dress.

_**Hallelujah, Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah, Hallelujah**_

Meanwhile, Knuckles stares at the top of a cake with a decoration of the bride and groom. He frowns and smeared som of the gold icing on the bride's hair, making it look more like Cassidy. He then turns around and sees a suit of armor with a helmet like the one Rouge wore when she rescued him.

_**And all I ever learned from love**_

_**Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you**_

Meanwhile, the group is filling up canteens and water bottles from a stream so they could drink from it They turn and gasp to see the Kyuubi. They tried to sneak away, but then noticed that the Demon Fox monster was silently crying. Hinata stares at her reflection and silently moves over to Kyuubi and sits down in front of him. Kyuubi smiled at her and transforms into Naruto and he had Takato with him as they both hug Hinata and Rika. The others also smiled at their friends.

_**It's not a cry you can hear at night**_

_**It's not somebody who's seen the light**_

_**It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah**_

Back in the forest, Rouge tries to eat her soup, but can't. She drops the spoon and sighs.

"Why?...why can't I forget Him?" she thought.

_**Hallelujah, Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah, Hallelujah**_

Back at the castle, Knuckles is eating his soup alone, looking terribly sad. Knuckles drops his spoon, covers his face, and begins crying.

"Why did I let Her go?" He said to himself.

Back at Rouge's home, Rouge has covered her eyes, crying as well, trying to forget what happened, until she heard a noise from outside. She went outside and found Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn were building something.

"Guys?" she asked. They ignored her and continued with what they were doing. "What are you guys doing?"

Misty looked up and said, "We would think, of all people, you would know a wall when you see one."

"Well, yeah," Rouge said, a bit confused, "But the wall's supposed to go around my forest, not through it."

"It is," Misty said, "Around your half. See, that's your half and this is our half."

"Oh," Rouge said, pretending to be interested, "Your half? Hmm."

"Yes," Gary said, "Our half. WE helped rescue the prince, WE did half the work, so WE get half the property! Now hand us that big old rock, the one that looks like your head."

Rouge was clearly insulted, so she began taking down the sticks and rocks, but the group stopped her from grabbing a long stick.

"Back off!" Rouge snapped.

"No, you back off!" Hinata retorted.

"This is my forest!"

"Our forest!"

"Let go!"

"You let go!"

"Stubborn morons!"

"Smelly Thief!" they shot back.

"FINE!" Rouge snapped as she let go.

The group got up and followed her.

"Hey, hey, come back here," Ash snapped.

"We're not through with you yet!" Rika snapped.

"Well, I'm through with you six!" Rouge snapped.

"You know, with you, it's always, 'Me! Me! Me!'" Dawn said scampering.

"Well, guess what! Now it's our turn! So you just shut up and pay attention! You're mean to us! You insult us and you don't appreciate anything we do! You're always pushing us around, or pushing us away!" Hinata said.

"Oh yeah?" Rouge asked, "If I treated you all so bad, why'd you come back?"

"Because that's what friends do," Ash snapped.

"They forgive each other!" Gary snapped.

"Oh, yeah," Rouge said, calming down, "You're right, guys. I forgive you...FOR BEING A BUNCH OF BACKSTABBERS!"

Then, she angrily walked off into her outhouse and shut the door.

Misty sighed angrily and said, "You're so wrapped up in layers, onion girl! You're afraid of your own feelings!"

"Just go away," Rouge said from inside of the outhouse.

"See, there you go again, just like you did to Knuckles. And all the guy ever did was like you." Dawn pointed out.

"Heck, maybe even love you!" Rika added.

"Love me? He called me ugly. A freak! I heard the seven of you talking last night."

"He wasn't talking about you. He was talking about..." Ash then remembered their promise to Knuckles and said, "Uh, somebody else."

There was a pause and Rouge opened the door.

"He wasn't talking about me?" she asked, "Then who was he talking about?"

"Uh-uh, no way. We're not saying anything. You don't wanna listen to us. Right? Right?" Dawn said.

"Guys!"

"No!" the group said in unison.

"Okay, look. I'm sorry, okay?" Rika, Hinata, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Dawn stared at her and then turned away. Rouge sighed and knew she really should mean it. "I'm sorry. I guess I am just a big, stupid, ugly Thief. Can the six of you forgive me?"

Gary smiled and said, "Hey, that's what friends are for, right?"

"Right," Rouge said as she held out her hand, "Friends?"

"Friends," Hinata agreed as the nine put their hands together.

"So, uh," Rouge said, "What did Knuckles say about me?"

"What are you asking us for?" Rika asked.

"Why not ask him yourself?" Ash asked.

Rouge remembered and said, "The wedding! We'll never make it in time!"

Hinata laughed and said, "I thought you might say that. Never fear. For when there's a will, there's a way. And I have a way."

Hinata whistled and a familiar roar was heard. The group looked up to see the Kyuubi standing over them.

"Guys?" Rouge asked in surprise when she saw Kyuubi.

"I guess it's my animal magnetism." Hinata said.

The nine laughed and Rouge gave Hinata a noogie.

"Come here, you," she said.

"Alright, alright," Hinata said, pulling away, "Don't get all slobbery. No one likes a messy ninja. Alright, hop on and hold on tight. I haven't installed seatbelts yet."

The seven climbed up and Kyuubi ran towards Cassloc. As they were riding Rouge see the boy form the castle.

"Sooo...who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Takato." He said bowing.

Rouge then looked at the group confused.

"He's Rika boyfriend!" Dawn, Misty, and Hinata sang to Rouge while Rika herself blushed.

"Whatever bout time she had one anyway, Lets go!" Rouge Shouted making Kyuubi jump in the air.

Their mission: Stop The Wedding!


End file.
